AI-generated photo of explosion at Pentagon goes viral; markets tumble

An image of an explosion at the Pentagon triggered panic on Monday – but the image turned out to be fake. The image went viral instantaneously before it was uncovered to be fake. But the damage was done. The viral image of smoke billowing from the Pentagon caused a 10-minute long dip in the markets. 

The image is believed to have been made via artificial intelligence. It was shared by various social media accounts. The Pentagon had to intervene to comment that there has been no explosion in its premises. "We can confirm this was a false report and the Pentagon was not attacked today," a spokesman said.

The Arlington fire department also reacted to the post, adding that there has been no explosion or incident at or near the Pentagon. “@PFPAOfficial and the ACFD are aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon. There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public,” it said.

According to news agency AFP,  the original source of the Pentagon explosion image is unknown but one of the earliest tweets on the same came from an account that has a history of sharing disinformation. 

The image unleashed chaos at the markets, with S&P 500 stumbling 0.29 per cent compared to the Friday close. It eventually recovered. 

Various AI-generated images by artists have been doing the rounds on social media in recent times. For instance, AI-generated images of Donald Trump getting arrested, Pope Francis in a puffer jacket, aging looks of actors and actresses, had also gone viral recently. 

Also read: After Bard, Google working on new Midjourney-like image creation AI: Report