Viral Pictures of Putin in Buddhist Monk Costumes are AI-Generated, Not Real !

The escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict have raised global concerns. Apart from military attacks, there have been allegations of both sides spreading misinformation to discredit the other. Consequently, this has caused widespread speculation and the spread of false information online.

Recently, pictures of Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing Buddhist monk costumes have been circulating online. These pictures have sparked curiosity and raised questions about their authenticity and origin.

Social Media Claim

A Facebook user has shared a picture of Putin wearing Buddhist monk robes with the following caption:

"Putin denounced his old life and became a Buddhist Monk."

Source | Archive

In addition to this post, we found these pictures circulating online with similar claims.

After investigation, we discovered that the images were not real but instead had been doctored by AI.

Fact-Checking

We began our investigation by using the Reverse Image Search feature to trace the origin of the photos. This led us to a post from the Facebook group called "Midjourney Thailand," where the user had posted pictures of global leaders Putin and Biden wearing Buddhist monk robes. As the pictures quickly gained attention and were widely shared on social media, the user later added a disclaimer in the caption, translated as "All pictures are not real. They were created by AI." to prevent further misunderstandings.

Source | Archive

Midjourney is an online platform that enables users to create AI-generated images in various styles, from realistic to abstract. The platform uses advanced algorithms and deep learning techniques to generate images of people, places, or objects in different settings and costumes.

It is worth noting that the Thai Midjourney User who created these pictures also generated pictures of other public figures, such as Game of Thrones characters wearing traditional Indian costumes.

Source | Archive

Apart from the above user, there are also other users in the group who use Midjourney to create images using the faces of various political figures, as shown in the post below.

Source | Archive

Conclusion

To summarize, the pictures of Putin wearing Buddhist monk costumes that have been circulating online are not real but rather AI-generated.

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