Latest news with #Sightengine
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Debunking claims Travis Kelce bought tiny diner from college days to feed homeless people
Claim: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce bought a tiny diner that let him eat on credit during his college days, converting the eatery to feed 120 homeless people every day. Rating: A rumor that circulated online in June 2025 claimed Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, also known for dating 14-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift, bought a tiny diner that let him eat on credit during his college days. According to the story, Kelce turned the diner into an establishment that feeds 120 homeless people every day. For example, on June 11, a Threads user posted (archived) in part, "Travis Kelce bought the tiny diner that let him eat on credit in college — but what he turned it into now feeds 120 homeless people every day." (@robert_dimiceli32506595/Threads) Facebook users also shared this rumor, including some with the following caption: Travis Kelce bought the tiny diner that let him eat on credit in college — but what he turned it into now feeds 120 homeless people every day… Back in college, Travis used to eat at Elena's diner — a kind Mexican woman who let him run a tab for two years. Fifteen years later, he tracked her down, found out she was closing the diner, and quietly bought it. But instead of reopening for business, he asked Elena to cook again — this time, serving free lunch to 120 people on the streets nearby… Those Facebook posts featured links in top comments to articles hosted by WordPress blogs, such as one advertisement-filled story hosted on the website. The article identified the supposed former diner as Elena's Diner in Kansas City, Missouri, and the newer Kelce establishment as Elena's Kitchen. However, searches of Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google and Yahoo found no news media outlets reporting any news of Kelce purchasing a diner or organizing daily meals for homeless people. Entertainment and sports blogs would have widely reported this rumor — if true — due to his prominent NFL status and relationship with Swift. Also, searches produced no results for any establishments in Kansas City with the names Elena's Diner or Elena's Kitchen. Rather, this rumor about Kelce simply existed as the latest inspirational story fabricated by users to earn advertising revenue on websites linked from the aforementioned Facebook posts. The story about Kelce resembled glurge, which defines as "stories, often sent by email, that are supposed to be true and uplifting, but which are often fabricated and sentimental." The AI image detector Sightengine found that a user managing AI software likely produced the photos of Kelce serving food to homeless people with a 99.9% likelihood. Both pictures showed clear signs of AI fakery, such as Kelce's eyes displaying odd discrepancies. The man Kelce served food to in the top photo had a very strangely-generated hand. A partial bowl, which made no sense, sat on top of the plate Kelce handed the same man. Further, in both photos, none of the food appeared identifiable. While the aforementioned lookups of search engines found no credible trace of this story, those searches did locate another made-up story claiming Kelce helped a diner from his teenage years, as opposed to during college. The headline of the similar fabricated story, also hosted on read, "Travis Kelce donated $50,000 to the diner that once fed him as a hungry teen — and the way he returned brought the owner to tears." For further reading, another Snopes fact check examined a rumor claiming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reconnected with and organized a fundraiser for her old high school's elderly janitor. "AI Image Detector. Detect AI-Generated Media at Scale." Sightengine, "Taylor Swift | Artist |
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Eddie Murphy didn't testify at Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial, honestly
Claim: Actor Eddie Murphy testified at rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-trafficking trial in May or early June 2025. Rating: A rumor that circulated online beginning in late May 2025 claimed actor and comedian Eddie Murphy testified at rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-trafficking trial. Users primarily spread this matter through the sharing of videos. Those videos claimed Murphy told the court at Combs' New York trial that Combs forced Murphy into engaging in sexual activity with him, and that Murphy said, "I left Hollywood because of 'Diddy.'" However, Murphy didn't testify at Combs' trial. Searches of Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google and Yahoo found no news media outlets credibly reporting that Murphy testified at the trial or made any such statements regarding sexual activity or leaving Hollywood. The rumor amounted to nothing more than attempts by online creators to earn advertising revenue. Those creators executed their plans by asking artificial-intelligence (AI) tools to create videos and inauthentic thumbnail images promoting the false rumor. Snopes contacted by email representatives for Murphy to request comment regarding the fabricated rumor, included about Murphy's alleged statements, and will update this story if we receive more information. For example, on June 8, 2025, a manager of the Undisclosed Realms YouTube channel posted a video (archived) displaying the title, "Eddie Murphy SHOCKS Court 'I Left Hollywood Because of Diddy!'" The creator of the clip labeled its content in the description as "comedic satire." As of this writing, the video received over 236,000 views. The video's thumbnail image featured an AI-generated, split-screen view, showing Combs in an orange jumpsuit alongside Murphy, both seated in front of microphones. The chyron read, "Diddy ruined my career." The video showed authentic visuals. At the same time, the clip also featured AI-generated editing, scripting and voice narration, meaning all its creator needed to do to make the entire clip was enter a brief text prompt into one of many different AI tools. The AI-detection website Sightengine found a 99.9 percent likelihood of someone generating the thumbnail image with AI. The narrator's voice matched that of the AI-generated "Bill" on the ElevenLabs AI company's website. Snopes added the red line due to the thumbnail image's inauthenticity. (Undisclosed Realms/YouTube) Days earlier, on June 1, a manager of the Red Carpet Rumors Facebook page posted a video with the title, "1 MINUTE AGO: Eddie Murphy Testifies, 'I Left Hollywood Because of Diddy." That video, also generated with AI, received over 4 million views, and featured the description, "In a stunning courtroom revelation, comedy legend Eddie Murphy has reportedly taken the stand and confessed the real reason he vanished from Hollywood for years — and it all leads back to Sean 'Diddy' Combs. With the world watching, Eddie declared, 'I left Hollywood because of Diddy,' sending shockwaves through the courtroom and beyond." The video's AI-generated thumbnail image showed a split-screen view of a tearful Murphy crying in court next to Combs, again wearing an orange jumpsuit. A fake photo displayed between the pair showed Murphy and Combs shirtless in a bed. The chyron referenced "breaking news" and a purported Murphy quote saying that Combs forced him into engaging in oral sex. The text read, "He made me suck it." Snopes also added the red line in this thumbnail image. (Red Carpet Rumors/Facebook) Other users shared this same false rumor far and wide on Facebook (archived), Threads (archived), TikTok (archived) and X (archived), as well as on many different YouTube channels. A Google search result also displayed a popular TikTok video with at least 162,000 views from user @ displaying the title, "P2. 1 MINUTE AGO: Eddie Murphy Testifies, 'I Left Hollywood Because of Diddy.'" As of this writing, an attempt to access the video showed the message, "Video currently unavailable." Additionally, at least one X post (archived) from May 31 linked to a removed YouTube video displaying the title, "1 MINUTE AGO: Eddie Murphy Testifies, 'I Left Hollywood Because of Diddy.'" Upon attempting to access the video (archived), YouTube showed the message, "This video has been removed for violating YouTube's Terms of Service." In other words, this false rumor about Murphy and Combs originated in May, most likely with a label about fictional content, as opposed to satire. While Murphy did not testify at Combs' trial, his name did receive a brief, albeit minor, mention. Referencing Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, NewsNation reported of Murphy and actor Bruce Willis: While reviewing text messages Ventura sent Combs in court, the defense team noted she asked the hip-hop mogul if they could have more than a sexual relationship, pointing to both Willis and Murphy as examples where they successfully co-parented with the mothers of their children. Ventura had expressed a desire to be in Combs' children's lives after he split with Kim Porter, and Combs' defense team was attempting to show that Ventura was jealous of the time Combs spent with the mother of three of his kids. For further reading, previous fact checks examined similar rumors about other celebrities allegedly testifying against Combs, including musician Usher and actor Jim Carrey. Another claim said the prosecution in Combs' case presented as evidence a secret recording of Prince exposing the music mogul. "AI Image Detector. Detect AI-Generated Media at Scale." Sightengine, "DuckDuckGo - Protection. Privacy. Peace of Mind." DuckDuckGo, Falzone, Diana. "Here Are the A-Listers Mentioned in the Diddy Trial so Far." NewsNation, 7 May 2025, "Free Text To Speech Online with Lifelike AI Voices." ElevenLabs, Google. Google Lens - Search What You See. Microsoft Bing. Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos.
France 24
21-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
What AI detection tools got wrong in the case of a photo tweeted by a French politician
"I bet a 100 bucks that this is AI,' reads a comment on a May 11 tweet by the three-time French presidential candidate and far-left politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The comment, left by an account named Lapin du Futur (Futuristic Rabbit), accuses the leader of the French far-left political party France Unbowed (LFI) of having used artificial intelligence to modify a photo he shared of an anti-Islamophobia protest that took place the same day in Paris. One of the photos tweeted by Mélenchon shows him standing with several deputies from his party on the front lines of a protest. Behind them, there are thousands of protesters brandishing many different flags, including the French flag, the Palestinian flag and LFI's flag. A number of social media users, like Lapin du Futur, claimed that the photo was generated by AI and that the French flags were added. Lapin du Futur's post alone garnered more than two million views. "The prompt [Editor's note: the request provided to AI software] was 'add French flags'. None of the French flags are real,' claimed another social media account in a post that garnered more than 700,000 views. Some social media users have pointed to certain details in the photo that often indicate that an image has been AI-generated, like people's hands looking strange or deformed. In the case of this photo, one protester holding up a flag appears to have only four fingers. Another person seems to have six fingers. Another social media user shared screenshots from an AI-detection tool, which determined that it was 'likely' that the image was generated by AI. AI-detection tool Sightengine determined that there was a 90% probability that the image was generated by AI. Another tool, Decopy AI, said there was a 95% probability. And yet, there were French flags However, this image was not AI-generated and the French flags were not added to the image. No other elements were either. A number of LFI deputies also took to social media to post photos taken during the protest on Place de la Bastille in Paris, including Thomas Portes and Aly Diouara. Other accounts with links to France Unbowed also shared images. In all of the photos, you can see several French flags held by protesters. You can also see the French flags in videos of the protest posted by French media outlet BFM and images published by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on their website and YouTube page. Some social media users have also raised questions about the number of protesters in the photo, claiming that the numbers have been artificially inflated. However, the photos by other sources show the same crowd sizes on Place de la Bastille. The Paris police prefecture counted 3,700 protesters, while protest organisers said that 15,000 people had attended. As for the hands that appear to have four or six fingers, a close verification of the image reveals that each hand does actually have five fingers. If you look closely at the photo, then you can see the fifth finger of the hand holding the flagpole, partially hidden by the pole. As for the other hand, what looks like a sixth finger is actually an effect created by the angle of the hand and the shadow cast on the person's wrist (see more details below). False positives detected from minor edits to contrast and colours The FRANCE 24 Observers team contacted the press service of France Unbowed (LFI), who refuted all accusations that the image had been AI-generated. However, the party did clarify that 'contrast was added, the brightness was reduced and the vibrancy of the photo was accentuated' during the editing process. It turns out that basic edits like this can actually confuse tools meant to detect AI-generated images like Sightengine, which was cited by a number of social media users who said Mélenchon's photo was false. Our team contacted Sightengine, who confirmed that their tool detected both 'images completely generated by AI but also real photos that contained elements generated or modified by AI' like some of the above edits. "It might flag partial modifications or small edits or improvements carried out using generative AI tools,' said representatives of Sightengine. France Unbowed sent the original image – without any changes to contrast or colours – to our team. When we ran it through Sightengine, it didn't detect any possible use of AI. This supports the theory that the tool initially concluded that the photo was likely AI-generated only because of the colour and contrast correction. The same is true for the tool which initially concluded that there was a 99.13% probability that the photo posted by Mélenchon was AI-generated. In an email to our team sent on May 15, the company behind the tool said that its product 'may have some errors in the accuracy of multi-person photo recognition', indicating that it was primarily a tool 'aimed at the recognition of single-person photos'. The company promised that they would 'make immediate improvements' to the tool, following this error. 'There is AI integrated into almost all photo editing tools' "Today, there are elements of generative AI integrated into nearly all of the [photo editing] tools that we use,' said Emmanuelle Saliba, who runs the investigation bureau at GetReal, a company that detects deepfakes. The company was founded by Hany Farid, an expert in the analysis of manipulated photos and videos. Saliba explained that Photoshop, for example, "uses AI in the 'enhance' function as well as in editing". That's also the case for Lightroom, the photo editing programme that was used by France Unbowed. Lightroom explains on its site that it uses AI to improve the sharpness of images or to adjust " colours and tones'. After a careful analysis of the image using both detection algorithms and analysis of the shadows, GetReal concluded that the photo posted by Mélenchon is 'real'. A number of other AI-detection tools also did not conclude that the flags were AI-generated, including the algorithms developed by a European research and development project focused on disinformation analysis. "None of these algorithms shows any sign of AI generation in these images,' said Denis Teyssou, the editorial lead at AFP's Medialab and "We are looking for something tangible, especially signs left by image generators in the signal,' he said, unlike other AI detectors, which might say that an image is likely generated by AI because of small edits on colour or contrast. Due to the proliferation of audio, video, and images generated by AI, numerous free AI-detection tools are now available. However, it is important to remain prudent as these tools can produce false positives, wrongly identifying content as artificially generated. This is a major challenge as most of these tools do not explain their criteria for detection, nor the technical aspects that led to images being detected as AI-generated.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Don't fall for AI videos about Musk's young son praising Jesus on live TV
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Claim: Billionaire White House adviser Elon Musk's young son X spoke about Jesus on a live televised talk show. Rating: Rating: False In April and May 2025, a rumor spread online that billionaire White House adviser Elon Musk's young son X Æ A-Xii, who goes by X for short, went on a televised talk show and made inspirational comments about Jesus. X Musk, who was 5 years old at the time of this writing, is one of three children Musk shares with his former partner, the musician Grimes. The rumor appeared in numerous similar videos on YouTube and Facebook with titles such as "What Elon Musk's Son Just Said About JESUS Will Leave You Speechless" and "Elon Musk's Son X JUST Said THIS About Jesus on Live TV – This Will Reach Millions!" Some of the videos had racked up more than 400,000 views each by the time of this writing. Snopes readers searched our site for information on whether it was true that Musk's son spoke about Jesus on live TV. In short, the rumor did not reflect reality and, instead, was a work of pure fiction, as disclaimers on many of the videos explicitly stated. As a result, we have rated the claim false. For example, the description sections of versions posted to YouTube on April 21 and May 3 included text reading: DISCLAIMER The stories presented on this channel are entirely fictional and crafted solely for entertainment. Any resemblance to real events, individuals, or situations is purely coincidental and unintentional. These narratives are not intended to depict, reference, or represent any actual occurrences, persons, or entities. Some of the videos' descriptions also contained separate disclaimers noting that their creators used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate the clips' audio and video. AI image detectors WasItAI and Sightengine both concluded that images from the videos that purported to show X were indeed the products of AI software. (YouTube accounts Moments of Grace and Nebula Scribe) Notably, the boy's hairstyle and eye color differed from video to video — and none of the images were a perfect visual match for the real X, who has appeared in numerous authentic news photos thanks to Musk's habit of bringing his son to White House events. The videos also contained details that were not supported by any real-world evidence. One, for example, said around the 16:16 mark that major news networks including CNN and Fox News picked up the story. However, it was not possible to find any coverage of X Musk talking about Jesus on either network's website. Another video claimed (around the 16:05 mark) that the child's alleged words resulted in the hashtag #XOnJesus trending worldwide. At the time of this writing, there was no evidence that any user had ever used that hashtag on either X or Facebook. This was not the first heartwarming-but-fictional story about Elon Musk that Snopes has fact-checked. For example, we previously looked into the false claims that he funded prosthetics for police dogs and that he became the guardian of an abandoned baby. Sources: "Elon Musk and Grimes' 3 Kids: All About X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl and Techno Mechanicus (and What the Singer Has Said About Co-Parenting with the Tech CEO)." Accessed 7 May 2025. "Elon Musk and His Son X Æ Walk on the South Lawn of the White House..." Getty Images, 14 Apr. 2025, "Elon Musk Carries His Son X Æ A-Xii on His Shoulders in the Oval..." Getty Images, 11 Feb. 2025, "Elon Musk, His Son, X Æ A-Xii, and Musk's Mother, Maye Musk Arrive At..." Getty Images, 3 Mar. 2025, Liles, Jordan. "Elon Musk Didn't Fund Robotic Legs for Injured Police Dogs." Snopes, 25 Apr. 2025, ---. "Musk Didn't Become Guardian of Abandoned Newborn Baby." Snopes, 8 Apr. 2025, "U.S. President Donald Trump and Æ A-Xii, the Son of White House..." Getty Images, 14 Mar. 2025,
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Unpacking rumor Trump officials have been told to wear gold lapel pin of president's head
In April 2025, claims (archived) circulated online that U.S. President Donald Trump's Cabinet members and Republican legislators had been ordered by the president to wear golden lapel pins depicting his face. In one TikTok video, which was viewed more than 60,000 times after being shared on X, a user said: Trump is now telling his cabinet members to stop wearing their American flag pins and start wearing golden Trump heads on their lapels instead. It's, like, one way that they know that they're "in with the cool crowd." Little Trump heads. The claim also circulated on Facebook (archived), X (archived) and Bluesky (archived). However, it was unclear at the time of this writing whether Trump or his administration had ordered anyone to wear golden Trump lapel pins. A White House official said via email: "Obviously, we did not order officials to wear this pin. If they choose to wear one, it is to show support for the greatest President in history." Claims circulated after Brendan Carr, the Federal Communications Commission chairman, appeared (archived) in photos (archived) wearing a golden Trump lapel pin. Carr has not responded to requests for comment about why he wore the pin. The claim originated from a Substack post by the Canadian sports writer Dean Blundell that in turn relied on pictures posted on X by political commentator Benny Johnson showing Carr appearing to wear a golden Trump lapel pin on April 3. Photos (archived) from Carr's X profile (archived) on April 10, 2025, however, showed him without the pin, indicating he was not wearing it consistently. Photos taken on the same date of high-ranking officials in Trump's cabinet also showed them without pins. We reached out to Blundell to ask how he knew about the order and for proof that other Republican figures had worn the pin, as Blundell claimed. We reached out to Johnson and Carr to ask about the authenticity of the pictures showing the pin, among other questions. We await replies on the above requests. The first mention of the golden Trump lapel pins appeared to be from two X posts on April 3, 2025, by Johnson, a self-described conservative political commentator. The first post showed Johnson and Carr, with Carr wearing the golden Trump pin on his left lapel. Johnson captioned the post: "With the unstoppable FCC Director Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) This man fights for Free Speech in his very bones. What a legend." The second post, later reposted by Carr, showed a closer look at the pin on Carr's lapel. Johnson captioned the post: "Do you even understand the level of fit that @BrendanCarrFCC has? Please check 🔥👊🏼" According to the online AI detectors Sightengine and Hive Moderation, there was a 0-1% chance of Johnson's photo of Carr from the second post being AI-generated or fake. The images from Carr's second post were reposted across X, including one post (archived) on April 5 that was viewed 350,000 times at the time of this writing. On April 9, 2025, Blundell wrote a post on his Substack blog titled: "Trump Is Now Mandating His Cabinet/Loyalist Wear "Trump Golden Bust" Pins." This post made the headline claim — that "loyalist" Republicans were ordered to wear the golden Trump lapel pin — and also claimed that other representatives and senators were wearing the accessory. We did not find images from reputable sources online that showed other Republican lawmakers wearing the golden Trump lapel pin. Searches on popular search engines mostly showed reporting referencing Blundell's Substack post. Photographs showing Carr and other high-profile Republicans in early-to-mid April further cast doubt on Blundell's claims that "loyalists" were ordered to wear the golden Trump pins. Carr appeared to wear the Trump pin in a video posted (archived) on his X profile on April 4, 2025. However, on April 10, he instead donned a U.S. flag pin for meetings, seen in posts on his X profile. Had Trump or other officials ordered the wearing of the pin, Carr would have likely worn it consistently, or in addition to the U.S. flag pin. Additionally, it did not seem that Trump's alleged order for officials in his cabinet to wear the pins had reached the president's closest advisers. Photos from Getty, a reputable picture agency, show high-ranking Trump administration officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wearing either different pins or no pins at all during a cabinet meeting with the president on April 10. Had an order gone out, Cabinet members would've likely worn the pins to this meeting. Meanwhile, social media users pointed out that online retailer Amazon sold a very similar-looking pin for around $7. President Donald Trump Pin, Gold Plated Lapel Pins, 1.2" x 1.2", 1 Pack : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025. @bennyjohnson. "Do You Even Understand the Level of Fit That @BrendanCarrFCC Has? ." X, 3 Apr. 2025, ---. "With the Unstoppable FCC Director Brendan Carr." X, 3 Apr. 2025, Blundell, Dean. "Trump Is Now Mandating His Cabinet/Loyalist Wear 'Trump Golden Bust' Pins." Dean Blundell, 9 Apr. 2025, @BrendanCarrFCC. "Always Great to Visit with Chief Johnson with the Western Fire Chiefs Association." X, 10 Apr. 2025, ---. "Appreciated the Chance to Visit with Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls Owner Jerry Reinsdorf Today." X, 10 Apr. 2025, ---. "DOJ 🤝 FTC 🤝 FCC ." X, 4 Apr. 2025, Trump Gold Lapel Pin - Google Search. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025. Trump Gold Lapel Pin - Yahoo Search Results. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025. Trump Gold Lapel Pin at DuckDuckGo. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025. Trump Gold Lapel Pin Senator Congressman - Google Search. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025. Trump Gold Lapel Pin Senator Congressman - Yahoo Image Search Results. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025. Trump Gold Lapel Pin Senator Congressman at DuckDuckGo. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025. "U.S. President Donald Trump Delivers Remarks during a Cabinet Meeting..." Getty Images, 10 Apr. 2025, "U.S. President Donald Trump Holds a Cabinet Meeting at the White..." Getty Images, 10 Apr. 2025,
