Deepfake Bono, Bob Geldof hold Israeli flag
Occurred: December 2024
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An image purportedly showing Irish musicians Bono and Bob Geldof holding the Israeli flag has been confirmed as AI-generated and therefore fake.
What happened
An image of Irish musicians Bono and Bob Geldorf surfaced online, accompanied by claims that the artists were endorsing Israel amid ongoing tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.ย
The claim gained traction after criticism from Irish singer Mary Coughlan, who questioned their silence on the issue.ย
The image was first posted by a satirical account and was acknowledged as fake by the same account two days later.
Why it happened
The creation and dissemination of the AI-generated image first appeared on a satirical account known for producing fake news and topical satire.
Neither Bono nor Geldof has publicly supported Israel in recent events, maintaining their silence on the ongoing conflict despite previous calls for peace in the region.
What it means
The incident highlights the growing challenge of distinguishing real images from those generated by AI, especially in politically charged contexts.ย
It also underscores the importance of verifying information before sharing, particularly when it involves public figures and contentious topics.
Deepfake
Deepfakes (a portmanteau of 'deep learning' and 'fake') are images, videos, or audio which are edited or generated using artificial intelligence tools, and which may depict real or non-existent people. They are a type of synthetic media.
Source: Wikipedia ๐
System ๐ค
Unknown
Operator:ย
Developer: ย
Country: Ireland; Israel; Palestine
Sector: Politics
Purpose: Parody/satire
Technology: Deepfake - image
Issue: Mis/disinformation
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Type: Issue
Published: December 2024