Viral AI-Generated Image of Astronauts, Elon Musk, and Trump Sparks Confusion Online
A widely shared AI generated image has gone viral on social media, claiming to show American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore posing with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and former U.S. President Donald Trump. The image gained attention following the astronauts’ return to Earth on March 19, after spending an extended nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
What’s the claim?
The image is being shared with the assertion that it captures a moment of the astronauts meeting Musk and Trump after their return from space. Here is the archived version of the claim.
Is the image authentic?
No, the image is not real. It was created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.
How did we verify the claim?
Upon close examination, several inconsistencies in the image indicated it was AI-generated:
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The facial features of Musk and Trump appeared unnaturally smooth and distorted.
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Sunita Williams’ suit displayed multiple badges that do not match authentic images of her post-arrival.
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The individual standing behind Williams does not resemble Butch Wilmore.
Given these anomalies, we subjected the image to AI detection tools for further verification.
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Hive Moderation’s tool assessed the image as 99.2% likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content.
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SightEngine’s tool determined it was 98% likely AI-generated.
Conclusion
The viral image falsely claims to depict astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore meeting Elon Musk and Donald Trump after their return from the ISS. In reality, it is an AI-generated creation and not an authentic photograph.