Deepfake Greta Thunberg promotes use of 'vegan grenades'

A video of Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg speaking out about the 2023 Israel-Hamas war in which she called for the use of 'biodegradable missiles' and 'vegan hand grenades' was doctored using artificial intelligence, according to experts.

In the video, which circulated widely on X, TikTok and Reddit, Thunberg appeared to say to the BBC, 'War's always bad, specifically for the planet. If we want to continue fighting battles like environmentally conscious humans, we must make the change to sustainable tanks and weaponry.'

The clip was allegedly created by German comedy outlet Snicklick and was labelled as satire. But some users appeared to believe it was real, while others chose to use it as an opportunity to attack Thunberg for her pro-Palestinian views and her environmental beliefs, and to spread disinformation. 

Experts noted poor synchronisation of Thunberg's mouth and audio and blurry hands and neck, and linked it to a real November 2022 BBC interview in which the activist spoke about climate anxiety, turning vegan and her book, The Climate Book.