Latest news with #PengYujiang
Global News
04-06-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Viral video of Chinese paraglider likely includes faked AI footage
A California-based digital security firm says it is 'fairly confident' that viral footage of a paraglider who claims to have been sucked into a storm in China is not entirely authentic. Peng Yujiang, 55, says he began an accidental flight while testing newly purchased paragliding equipment in the Qilian Mountains in northern China and that a camera mounted on his glider captured the entire ordeal, which supposedly saw him reach heights of 27,800 feet. An investigation by Reuters suggests that the first five seconds of Yujiang's film contain 'fake footage,' likely generated by artificial intelligence, bringing the legitimacy of his story into question. Reuters has since removed the video from its platforms. 'This content is clearly labeled as third-party content and is not verified or endorsed by Reuters,' it said in a statement. Story continues below advertisement 'When we became aware of a piece of content that likely contained AI-generated elements on the Reuters Connect platform, we investigated and took it down because the material does not comply with our partner content policy,' it continued. Global News, the BBC, The Associated Press and the New York Times — along with other outlets — shared the likely doctored video last week. The investigation, undertaken by GetReal Security — a company that calls itself the world's leading authority on the authentication and verification of digital media — noted several inconsistencies in Yujiang's video, namely that his helmet is black at the start of the video and changes to white, and that his legs are in a protective cocoon at the start and dangling at the end. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Other inconsistencies given by Reuters include: It's in a video format that differs from the other videos in the compilation What appears to be the full AI video was uploaded to Facebook with a Doubao AI watermark indicating their tool was used to create it The sound may have been extended from the other videos in the compilation to make it appear coherent The 'Apollo 2' text (the paraglider model visible in the other videos) is not legible in the manipulated one. The letters are scrambled, even if some of the newer models can sometimes deliver text, it's still a common weakness in AI-generated content Peng's legs look unnaturally long and distorted The green ground seen in the AI version does not match satellite imagery of the snowy terrain of the Qilian Mountains While GPS data posted by Yujiang on the website XContest, a popular forum in the paragliding community, suggests the flight did occur, it was later deleted, according to Jakub Havel, a Czech paraglider who helps run the forum. Other flight data shared by Yujiang remains on the site. Story continues below advertisement Paragliding experts have raised doubts over Yujiang's claim that his ascent was accidental, arguing that it is unlikely because of the 'specialized heavy mittens' he can be seen wearing in the video, an item not typically used during a test flight. 'These are not things you would normally wear or have ready if you were just ground-handling to test a wing,' Brad Harris, president of the Tasmanian Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, told Reuters. Given that parts of the footage are probably AI-generated, it is not certain if Yujiang was actually using the specialized hand-warming equipment shown in the footage. Godfrey Wenness, a former paragliding distance world record holder, said a highly experienced paraglider could have managed to reverse the ascent shown in Yujiang's flight data, and that Yujiang was either 'inexperienced' or continuing to climb on purpose. Meanwhile, Daniel Wainwright, a flight instructor in Australia, told Reuters that storm clouds like the one Yujiang flew in 'don't just appear above your head and hoover you into space. They build over a period of time. He shouldn't have been flying.' In a report published on Wednesday, the Gansu Aeronautical Sports Association said Yujiang had broken an altitude record. The private group that oversees air sports in the province did not respond to Reuters' request for comment and deleted its report on Yujiang's flight from its WeChat account. Story continues below advertisement By Thursday, the association's website was blocked. It also suspended Yujiang from flying for six months. A member of his flight team was suspended for six months for releasing the video without authorization. — With files from Reuters
RNZ News
02-06-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Video of Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang likely manipulated with AI, experts say
By Max Walden and Gillian Aeria , ABC Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang says he "definitely won't fly for a while" after surviving high altitude accident. Photo: CCTV via Reuters via CNN Newsource Video of a Chinese paraglider widely published by news media outlets around the world was at least partly manipulated by generative artificial intelligence tools, experts said. Remarkable footage of 55-year-old paraglider Peng Yujiang, face encrusted with ice after purportedly being sucked into the upper atmosphere, was widely covered by Chinese and international media outlets last week including the ABC. The video had been sourced from Chinese state media outlet CCTV via Reuters. Reuters distanced itself from the content in a statement. "The content is clearly labelled as third-party content and is not verified or endorsed by Reuters," the company said. "When we became aware of a piece of content that likely contained AI-generated elements on the Reuters Connect platform, we investigated and took it down because the material does not comply with our partner content policy." The ABC also removed the original story and published an editor's note clarifying that Peng's claim that he was lifted 8598 metres could not be independently verified. Associate Professor Abhinav Dhall from Monash University's Department of Data Science and AI said there were several factors that meant the video was difficult to identify as manipulated, including the low quality of the footage. "It's difficult to figure out if it's real or fake," he told the ABC. "[But] if we closely observe the starting say 3 or 4 seconds of this video we can see that the clouds in the background do not really look real. They look like as if, you know, it's a 2D picture." Dhall said it was difficult even for experts to detect "subtle manipulations" to images or video. RMIT generative AI and journalism researcher TJ Thomson agreed. "It didn't seem overly dodgy or suspicious at first glance especially looking at it on a small smartphone screen with our attention frayed," he said. "But if you look at it more closely, I think things start to come to the surface. You can pick up little things - the colour of the helmet, for example, changing colour. "Looks like the colour of cord shifts over time, looks like the ground's visible and then not a few seconds later." 'Generational change' forced by generative AI It is plausible that Peng did indeed reach the height he claimed, despite the video being doctored. German paraglider Ewa Wisnierska was sucked nearly 10,000 metres into the air above NSW by a storm front in 2007 and lived to tell the tale. "It could be that they're splicing together multiple clips of actual real footage or that AI has been used here to generate or edit some content," Dr Thomson said. Still, he said the case demonstrated the risks of generative AI for shrinking newsrooms, which have become ever-more reliant on crowd-sourced material. "We see 728,000 hours of video being uploaded online every day and more than three billion images being uploaded online every day," he said. "It can be helpful to integrate that crowd-sourced footage into our reporting, but it's the scale and speed by which that content travels is really hard for journalists to fact-check." Australia's journalist union, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), told the ABC it had been calling on the federal government to regulate AI. "Our members have been telling us that they are concerned about misinformation and disinformation and the potential erosion of public trust in journalism and the media," a spokesperson said. "That's why we have been calling on government to introduce new AI legislation that will govern the use of generative AI, protect creative works from AI theft and increase transparency." MEAA chief executive Erin Madeley said last year that use of AI generation would "drive the erosion of our news and information to the point where the community cannot tell fact from fiction". Monash's Dr Dhall said there was a "big, generational change" happening regarding the creative ways in which users could manipulate data - and that there was a role for both industry and government. "I reckon it will take some time for systems - automatic systems and human observers - to get on page and quickly realise that something is fake or not," he said. "But there is hope. There is research going on within academia and industry, developing tools that will be able to identify [AI manipulation], along with a human being." - ABC
CTV News
02-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
China paraglider's thundercloud survival claim featured likely AI-faked video
Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang says he "definitely won't fly for a while" after surviving high altitude accident. (CCTV via Reuters via CNN Newsource) A Chinese paraglider's account of having been unwittingly swept into a thundercloud and dragged 8 kilometres (5 miles) into the sky has come under question after his video of the incident, carried by Chinese state media, turned out to have been likely faked in part. The video, originally posted after the paraglider's May 24 flight by his support team on Douyin, China's TikTok, employed artificial intelligence to fake some of the footage, according to a review by a digital security firm consulted by Reuters. The video's opening showed Peng Yujiang, 55, among the clouds, his face encrusted with ice. The video, which caused a sensation in paragliding circles, was aired in China and distributed internationally by state-run broadcaster CCTV. Other news providers also distributed the video, which was picked up globally. California-based digital security firm GetReal said it was 'fairly confident' the first five seconds of Peng Yujiang's video contained AI-generated images. There are also inconsistencies noted by GetReal and paragliders who pored over the video: Peng's legs are initially dangling without the insulating cocoon shown later. His helmet is first white, then black. Still, five expert paragliders interviewed by Reuters said it was possible Peng had flown to 8,589 metres (28,179 feet) as he claimed and survived. But four of them also challenged his claim that the flight had been an unavoidable accident, which Reuters is reporting for the first time. The current record for a planned flight is held by French pilot Antoine Girard who flew 8,407 metres over a stretch of the Himalayas in 2021. Peng recorded and then deleted his flight log on XContest, a website popular among paragliders, according to Jakub Havel, a Czech paraglider who helps run the forum. Havel said other flights by Peng remained on the site. 'Nobody intentionally lets themselves be sucked into a thunderstorm cloud in an attempt to break a record - it's something that any sane paragliding pilot tries to avoid at all costs,' said Havel, who said Peng's flight should not be considered a record. Peng could not be reached for comment. CCTV, which distributed the video on a platform owned by Reuters, could not be reached for comment. Like other Chinese media, CCTV faces a pending regulation from Beijing that requires all AI-generated content to be labeled as such from September. Contacted on the weekend, China's State Council, which oversees and coordinates government policy, had no immediate comment. In a statement, Reuters said it had removed the CCTV package on Peng's flight from Reuters Connect, an online marketplace that carries material from more than 100 news organizations. 'This content is clearly labeled as third-party content and is not verified or endorsed by Reuters,' the statement said. 'When we became aware of a piece of content that likely contained AI-generated elements on the Reuters Connect platform, we investigated and took it down because the material does not comply with our partner content policy.' Storm clouds In a report published on Wednesday, the Gansu Aeronautical Sports Association said Peng had broken an altitude record after being swept off the ground by a strong wind while testing second-hand gear he had just bought. 'According to Peng, he didn't plan on taking off,' the report said. The association, a private group that oversees air sports in the province, did not respond to a request for comment. It deleted its report on Peng's flight from its WeChat account and by Thursday the association's website was blocked. The association suspended Peng from flying for six months. A member of his flight team was suspended for six months for releasing the video without authorization. Expert pilots interviewed by Reuters said there were reasons to doubt Peng's flight was a fluke accident, saying he was either trying to make an unauthorized high ascent or should have seen the risk. Storm clouds like the one Peng flew in 'don't just appear above your head and hoover you into space. They build over a period of time,' said Daniel Wainwright, a flight instructor in Australia. 'He shouldn't have been flying.' The specialized heavy mittens shown in the video seem to undercut Peng's claim he had not intended to take off, said Brad Harris, president of the Tasmanian Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. He said he believed Peng may have made up the accidental take-off to avoid sanction for entering restricted air space. 'These are not things you would normally wear or have ready if you were just ground-handling to test a wing,' Harris said. Godfrey Wenness, a former paragliding distance world record holder, said a veteran paraglider could have managed to reverse the extreme but manageable ascent shown in Peng's flight data. 'He was either inexperienced or he was trying to (keep climbing),' Wenness said. Wenness said, however, he believed Peng hit the altitude he claimed based on flight data posted on XContest and then deleted. That data has to be transferred from a GPS in a 'tamper-proof' format, he said. 'We conclude and are confident that the actual flight did occur,' he said. (Additional reporting by Beijing newsroomEditing by Kevin Krolicki and Frances Kerry)
The Independent
02-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Chinese paraglider's death-defying thundercloud video may partly be fake
A viral video of a Chinese paraglider claiming he was swept up into a thundercloud and dragged 8km into the sky could partly be fake. Peng Yujiang, 55, a certified B-level paraglider, claimed in the video that he had a narrow escape after reaching an altitude of 8,598m without oxygen. The video was aired across China and distributed internationally by state broadcaster CCTV, and it quickly went viral. The video supposedly showed a sudden surge of wind pulling up and trapping Mr Peng into a rapidly forming cumulonimbus cloud, leaving him to face icy conditions with his face exposed and without oxygen. The paraglider said that he suspected he briefly lost consciousness during his eventual descent. But experts who examined the video, first shared on Douyin, China's TikTok, on 24 May, said it likely employed artificial intelligence to fake some of the footage, Reuters reported. The first five seconds of Mr Peng's video contained images generated by AI, American digital security firm GetReal said, adding that it was 'fairly confident' about its findings. GetReal as well as other paragliders noted that the video showed Mr Peng's legs initially dangling without the insulating cocoon shown later. In another concrete inconsistency, the paraglider's helmet appeared white and then black. 'Nobody intentionally lets themselves be sucked into a thunderstorm cloud in an attempt to break a record, it is something that any sane paragliding pilot tries to avoid at all costs," said Jakub Havel, a Czech paraglider who runs XContest, a popular website for paragliders. Mr Peng's flight should not be considered a record, he said, pointing out that the Chinese paraglider had recorded and then deleted his flight log on XContest while his other flights remained on the site. At least four paragliders interviewed by Reuters challenged Mr Peng's claim that the flight had been an unavoidable accident. The experts, however, said it was possible that the paraglider actually went up to an altitude of 8,589m and survived. Pilots said there were reasons to question Mr Peng's flight as a fluke accident, saying he was either trying to make an unauthorised high ascent or should have seen the risk. Storm clouds like the one Mr Peng flew in 'don't just appear above your head and hoover you into space' and 'build over a period of time", Daniel Wainwright, a flight instructor in Australia, told Reuters. 'He shouldn't have been flying.' The record for a planned flight is held by French pilot Antoine Girard, who flew at an altitude of 8,407m over a stretch of the Himalayas in 2021. Brad Harris, president of the Tasmanian Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, said the specialised heavy mittens shown in the video seemed to undercut Peng's claim he had not intended to take off. He believed Mr Peng could have made up the accidental take-off to avoid sanction for entering restricted airspace.
Free Malaysia Today
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Chinese paraglider's thundercloud survival claim likely featured AI-faked video
The current record for a planned paragliding flight is 8,407m. (EPA Images pic) BEIJING : A Chinese paraglider's account of having been unwittingly swept into a thundercloud and dragged 8km into the sky has come under question after his video of the incident, carried by Chinese state media, turned out to have been likely faked in part. The video, originally posted after the paraglider's May 24 flight by his support team on Douyin, China's TikTok, employed artificial intelligence to fake some of the footage, according to a review by a digital security firm consulted by Reuters. The video's opening showed Peng Yujiang, 55, among the clouds, his face encrusted with ice. The video, which caused a sensation in paragliding circles, was aired in China and distributed internationally by state-run broadcaster CCTV. Other news providers also distributed the video, which was picked up globally. California-based digital security firm GetReal said it was 'fairly confident' the first five seconds of Peng Yujiang's video contained AI-generated images. There are also inconsistencies noted by GetReal and paragliders who pored over the video: Peng's legs are initially dangling without the insulating cocoon shown later. His helmet is first white, then black. Still, five expert paragliders interviewed by Reuters said it was possible Peng had flown to 8,589m as he claimed and survived. But four of them also challenged his claim that the flight had been an unavoidable accident, which Reuters is reporting for the first time. The current record for a planned flight is held by French pilot Antoine Girard who flew 8,407m over a stretch of the Himalayas in 2021. Peng recorded and then deleted his flight log on XContest, a website popular among paragliders, according to Jakub Havel, a Czech paraglider who helps run the forum. Havel said other flights by Peng remained on the site. 'Nobody intentionally lets themselves be sucked into a thunderstorm cloud in an attempt to break a record – it's something that any sane paragliding pilot tries to avoid at all costs,' said Havel, who said Peng's flight should not be considered a record. Peng could not be reached for comment. CCTV, which distributed the video on a platform owned by Reuters, could not be reached for comment. Like other Chinese media, CCTV faces a pending regulation from Beijing that requires all AI-generated content to be labelled as such from September. Contacted on the weekend, China's state council, which oversees and coordinates government policy, had no immediate comment. In a statement, Reuters said it had removed the CCTV package on Peng's flight from Reuters Connect, an online marketplace that carries material from more than 100 news organisations. 'This content is clearly labelled as third-party content and is not verified or endorsed by Reuters,' the statement said. 'When we became aware of a piece of content that likely contained AI-generated elements on the Reuters Connect platform, we investigated and took it down because the material does not comply with our partner content policy.' Storm clouds In a report published on Wednesday, the Gansu Aeronautical Sports Association said Peng had broken an altitude record after being swept off the ground by a strong wind while testing second-hand gear he had just bought. 'According to Peng, he didn't plan on taking off,' the report said. The association, a private group that oversees air sports in the province, did not respond to a request for comment. It deleted its report on Peng's flight from its WeChat account and by Thursday the association's website was blocked. The association suspended Peng from flying for six months. A member of his flight team was suspended for six months for releasing the video without authorisation. Expert pilots interviewed by Reuters said there were reasons to doubt Peng's flight was a fluke accident, saying he was either trying to make an unauthorised high ascent or should have seen the risk. Storm clouds like the one Peng flew in 'don't just appear above your head and hoover you into space. They build over a period of time,' said Daniel Wainwright, a flight instructor in Australia. 'He shouldn't have been flying.' The specialised heavy mittens shown in the video seem to undercut Peng's claim he had not intended to take off, said Brad Harris, president of the Tasmanian Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. He said he believed Peng may have made up the accidental take-off to avoid sanction for entering restricted air space. 'These are not things you would normally wear or have ready if you were just ground-handling to test a wing,' Harris said. Godfrey Wenness, a former paragliding distance world record holder, said a veteran paraglider could have managed to reverse the extreme but manageable ascent shown in Peng's flight data. 'He was either inexperienced or he was trying to (keep climbing),' Wenness said. Wenness said, however, he believed Peng hit the altitude he claimed based on flight data posted on XContest and then deleted. That data has to be transferred from a GPS in a 'tamper-proof' format, he said. 'We conclude and are confident that the actual flight did occur,' he said.
