Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Enhancing grainy images and videos with generative AI to identify key missing details often produces inaccurate and unreliable results. AI models have no reference as to what missing details in a grainy image/video look like, and often generate those details based on an incorrect guess. 423558
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 28/09/2026An AI-enhanced version of a grainy image that appears to be authentic and shows several men being arrested in relation to the ongoing incident at RAF Fairford is currently being shared on multiple platforms. A SynthID check reveals that the enhanced image was generated with OpenAI. 15331126
Reposted by Shayan Sardarizadeh Richard Irvine-Brown @richib.bsky.social · 26/09/2026There's a social media scam featuring AI-generated injured soldiers shilling moody goods. Be on the lookout. Great story from Nick Stapleton for BBC Morning Live. AI detection and sense-checking from me and @shayan86.bsky.social 914291
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 22/09/2026The official social media accounts of Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei have for the second time since March published an image of him that appears to have been manipulated with Google AI. He has not been seen in public since being appointed Iran's head of state in March. 28625
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Hopefully, this makes it a bit clearer as to why verifying content in the age of AI is becoming a complex and time-consuming process. And as gen AI models advance, we should expect existing verification processes to become even more complex and at times, fall short of providing a defintive answer. 930130
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 19/09/2026We can now say with a high degree of confidence that OpenAI was used to generate the higher-res version, and Google AI to generate the lower-res version. But we still do not know which version came first and which exact image was either enhanced or degraded during the circulation timeline. 216515
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Meanwhile, Emmanuelle Saliba from GetReal Security found a post on Threads with the grainy image, published on 14 September at 20:08 BST (15:08 EDT). A check shows it was created with Google AI, which means we now have positive SynthID for both the grainy version and the higher-res version. 114912
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 19/09/2026I eventually found what seemed to be one of the earliest versions of the image, a thumbnail for a video by a political YouTuber, posted on 14 September at 18:18 BST (13:18 EDT). The positive? This version does have OpenAI SynthID. The negative? It doesn't seem to be the same as the grainy version. 31307
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 19/09/2026In order to find an answer, we have to run a detailed Google reverse image search (Google Lens). Because the image has been widely circulated across multiple platforms, that means going through hundreds of page links in order to find the earliest post on the web that features the image. 11364
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 19/09/2026We now have to try and find the earliest iteration of the image on the web, in the hope that'll hopefully give us some more clues about its origin. Was the grainy version created first and then enhanced with AI or was the high-res version posted first and then altered to make it more believable? 11377
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 19/09/2026But then there's another version of the image circulating that is grainier. And in this version, Harp does not seem to have six fingers, or at least that's not clear enough. What's more, pop this version into Google's and OpenAI's SynthID checkers, and both come back negative. 215513
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 19/09/2026This was the first version of this image that I saw online. Now, this is a pretty straightforward debunk. OpenAI's own verification tool detects SynthID (digitial watermarks embedded in the AI image at the time of generation) in it. Also, Harp has six fingers. Clearly and AI fake. 516414
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Thread: Two different versions of this AI-generated image purporting to show President Trump and his assistant Natalie Harp kissing went viral this week, generating millions of views across multiple platforms. Despite being fake, this wasn't a straightforward AI image to debunk. I'll explain why. 42439175
Reposted by Shayan Sardarizadeh Richard Irvine-Brown @richib.bsky.social · 15/09/2026How close were Boris Johnson, Carl Bildt and many European security advisors to at least two Russian drone strikes on Sunday? Lots of geo work, down to Polish train timetables and timing sight:sound difference of an explosion. With @shayan86.bsky.social, edited by @olgar.bsky.social. 34219
Reposted by Shayan Sardarizadeh Jake Godin @godin.bsky.social · 04/09/2026Additional geolocation using @planet.com SkySat imagery from July related the piece below: CCTV footage showed the strikes in Kuhestak, Iran as they happened. Appears to have been filmed near the town's destroyed police station. Map link: www.google.com/maps/place/2... TG link: t.me/Pelenya/31384 48342
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Legend. I spent two days on that video and couldn't find it 171
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 16/08/2026A huge fire and thick columns of smoke are seen at a major Wildberries warehouse in Koledino, nearly 40km south of the centre of Moscow, following an apparent Ukrainian drone strike this morning. Video: t.me/exilenova_plus/28974 Location: 55.3865168,37.5721367 825255
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 16/08/2026Footage shows the moment an apparent Ukrainian drone strikes a major Wildberries warehouse in Koledino, nearly 40km south of the centre of Moscow, this morning. Source: t.me/exilenova_plus/28947 Location: 55.3902692,37.5854328 210215
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Verified videos show a major oil slick washing up on Iran's Qeshm Island, which analysts have said comes from a ship hit by a strike in the Strait of Hormuz. The spill threatens wildlife, protected ecosystems and fishing communities around Qeshm. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukHow a major oil slick started washing up on Iran's beachesExperts tell BBC Verify pollution has spread from a ship attacked on 3 August and threatens vulnerable wildlife. 414278
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Some of the content by the latest AI models are frighteningly realisitc, to the point that it's becoming difficult to spot any obvious errors in them even with well-trained eyes. Going forward, digital watermarking seems to be one of the few practical solutions to AI-generated misinformation. 718148
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 01/08/2026President Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb a suspected underground nuclear site in Iran known as Pickaxe Mountain. The facility is believed to be buried deep inside a mountain and its exact purpose is shrouded in mystery and speculation. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukWhat is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain and why does Trump say he wants to bomb it?BBC Verify has spoken to experts and analysed satellite imagery to piece together what we know about the site, and the potential impact of a US strike. 35620
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Google Earth has launched a new AI tool which allows users to create fake satellite images. A collapsed Eiffel Tower, a sinkhole swallowing the Great Pyramid of Giza and Russian tanks in Kyiv were among the fake images BBC Verify created when testing the feature. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukNew Google Earth AI tool could fuel misinformation, experts sayExperts tell BBC Verify Google's new feature which lets people generate fake satellite images could be misused. 1514071
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 31/07/2026There's no way that this new AI image generation feature in Google Earth, one of the most reliable sources of visual evidence for journalists and researchers, could possibly be abused to spread misinformation online and damage trust in satellite images. Absolutely no cause for concern here at all. 10273111
Reposted by Shayan Sardarizadeh Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Google Earth, a tool often used as a source of satellite imagery to verify photos and videos, has added a feature that allows you to alter satellite imagery with AI, for reasons. blog.google/products-and...blog.googleTransform any place with Nano Banana in Google EarthCustom images — generated from Google Earth satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery — help you redesign any location. 671666580
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 21/04/2026These two widely shared images claiming to show the IDF restoring a statue of Jesus that was previously damaged by an Israeli soldier near Debl, Lebanon, are AI-generated and fake. A Google SynthID check finds watermarks that suggest both images were made with Google AI. 8264118
Reposted by Shayan Sardarizadeh Arieh Kovler @ariehkovler.com · 21/04/2026The Metropolitan police have arrested 7 people in connection with arson attacks against Jewish targets. Seems like some of them were planning a new attack. Also 8th arrest, someone in connection with Israel embassy drone attack.news.met.police.ukEight arrests made by Counter Terrorism Policing LondonSeven people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson. 06116
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 06/04/2026This image, which claims to show one of the airmen rescued by US special forces from Iran, has racked up millions of views after being shared by some major influencers, and even by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The image is AI-generated and features multiple errors. 551079377
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 04/04/2026Multiple weapons experts have disputed a US claim that Iran may have been responsible for a deadly strike on the town of Lamerd on the first day of the Iran war, which killed 21 people. Weapons experts say a US PrSM missile was likely used in the strike. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukExperts dispute US account of deadly Lamerd sports hall strike in IranSix weapons experts have contested the US claim that video evidence suggests an Iranian missile could have hit the hall. 419082
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 30/03/2026Read our investigation into the deadly strike in the Iranian town of Lamerd, which experts say was likely carried out using new US PrSM missiles. The attack killed 21 people, including four children. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukVideo shows US missile likely used in deadly strike on Iranian town, experts sayThe analysts identified a Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) in footage of the strike on the southern town of Lamerd. 410451
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 30/03/2026On the first day of the Iran war, at least two strikes hit a residential block and a sports hall in the town of Lamerd, killing 21 people, including four children. Our investigation reveals the attack was likely a US strike, carried out with new generation Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). 8254117
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 15/03/2026I hope that if there's one thing that this Iran conflict and the explosion of online misinformation about it has laid bare for most people is the significance of content verification and fact-checking in the digital age. AI cannot replace human verification, at least not just yet. 637581
Reposted by Shayan Sardarizadeh Dan Kaszeta FRHistS @dankaszeta.bsky.social · 09/03/2026You can’t actually destroy highly enriched uranium (HEU). Bombing it doesn’t d anything to it. 5837050
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 09/03/2026Footage published by Iranian media today shows damage to Chehel Sotoon, a 17th century, Safavid-era landmark palace and garden located in the historic centre of Isfahan, after air strikes in its vicinity. The Persian garden that surrounds the palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 13199108
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 09/03/2026A newly published video shows that a US Tomahawk missile hit a medical clinic inside an IRGC base and near a primary school in the southern Iranian town of Minab where the authorities said 168 people, including around 110 children, were killed. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukUS missile hit military base near Iran school, video analysis showsA US Tomahawk missile hit a military base near a primary school in southern Iran where Iranian authorities said 168 people were killed, expert video analysis shows. 320398
Reposted by Shayan Sardarizadeh Bellingcat @bellingcat.com · 08/03/2026New video footage shows a US Tomahawk missile hitting an IRGC facility in Minab, Iran, on Feb 28, showing for the first time that the US struck the area. The footage also shows smoke already rising from the vicinity of the girls’ school, where 175 people were reportedly killed, including children. 9132661683
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 06/03/2026BBC Verify has analysed verified videos and satellite imagery that show severe damage to a hospital, sporting centres, a UNESCO world heritage site and two schools since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on Saturday, as the number of civilian casualties grows. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukIranian schools, hospital and landmarks among civilian sites hit during US-Israeli strikesA local in Tehran tell BBC Verify that the city has been turned into a 12342251
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 05/03/2026The school building is located located immediately to the north-east of the IRGC base. Satellite imagery from 2013 appears to show the school building was part of the same compound, before a wall is seen in 2016 separating it from the base. 07722
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 05/03/2026Two videos filmed in the immediate aftermath of the attack show multiple plumes of smoke within an IRGC base and medical clinic near the school, as well as the school's top floor. The location of smoke plumes in videos correspond to visible damage in satellite imagery. 27117
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 05/03/2026Satellite imagery by Planet Labs shows at least five buildings with visible craters and black scorch marks in the area. "[It] seems it was intentional to hit the area," a satellite analyst said. 16420
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 05/03/2026BBC Verify has pieced together verified videos, satellite imagery and expert views after a deadly attack near a primary school in Minab, souther Iran, which suggest the area was hit more than once "by multiple simultaneous or near-simultaneous strikes". www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukIran school and nearby military base struck multiple times, satellite image revealsIranian authorities say the attack, which took place on Saturday, killed 168 people. 14553365
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 05/03/2026The Iran/US/Israel war might have already broken the record for the highest number of AI-generated videos and images that have gone viral during a conflict. Interestingly, I said the exact same thing right after the 12-day war in June. Welcome to our brave new world of AI misinformation. 7307103
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 03/03/2026This image, viewed millions of times on Instagram, X and Telegram, purports to show an attack on a US base near Erbil International Airport. The image is AI-generated. Google's SynthID finds watermarks in the image indicating it was made with Google AI. 317447
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 03/03/2026This video, viewed 4 million times, claims to show multiple fires in the centre of Tel Aviv tonight caused by Iranian missiles. This video is old and unrelated to the war. It shows celebrations by Algerian footbal fans in 2020. 114735
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 03/03/2026This video, viewed half a million times, claims to show Iranian drone strikes on tower blocks in Bahrain. But it's AI-generated and fake. Apart form figures magically disappearing in the clip, the fire in the tower on the left somehow stops on its own. 29429
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 03/03/2026This video, viewed 9.5 million times, claims to show a US F15 fighter jet being shot down by an Iranian missile in Kuwait. The video is not real. It's from a military video game. 19527
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 03/03/2026This image, which purports to show the US embassy in Riyadh on fire after widely reported drone strikes, is AI-generated and fake. Google's SynthID tool detects watermarks in the image that indicate it was made with Google AI. 513540
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 03/03/2026THREAD: Misinformation in the Iran/US/Israel war - 3 March This viral video claims to show the aftermath of a reported drone attack on the US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, tonight. But the video was posted last week to TikTok, and shows an unrelated car accident in Riyadh. 7498250
Shayan Sardarizadeh @shayan86.bsky.social · 01/03/2026Here's the moment a tearful host on Iranian state TV confirms that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli air strikes. The Iranian government has announced 40 days of mourning and a week-long holiday to mark Khamenei's death. 1014950