Deepfake about the Eiffel Tower fire went viral: what's wrong with it and why people believed it
Recently, a loud, but fortunately fake news story about a fire on the Eiffel Tower spread on social media. It was caused by photos and videos of the most popular French landmark on fire, with people watching in fear.
After a quick investigation, which included monitoring media and forums, viewers realized that the video was created by artificial intelligence. However, a deepfake is dangerous because not everyone will verify the authenticity of the video.
None of the web pages of Parisian officials or other government resources mention the Eiffel Tower fire. Reputable media outlets have also denied this fact.
Moreover, online viewers drew attention to the fact that although the video and photos look naturalistic, the iron monument cannot be engulfed in flames over its entire height.
People were also alarmed by the fact that there were no rescue services in the video, and people were just watching a fake fire.
The dipfake went viral. In a few days, it was viewed by millions of people, and the author's followers began to create other videos with natural disasters.
