#FactCheck - Suryakumar Yadav–Salman Ali Agha Handshake Row: Viral Image Found AI-Generated

Introduction

‍

In real-time warfare scenarios of this modern age, where actions occur without delay, the relevance of edge computing emerges as paramount. By processing data close to the source in the battlefield with the help of a drone or through video imaging from any military vehicle or aircraft, the concept of edge computing allows the military to point targets faster and strike with accuracy. It also enables local processing to relay central data, helping ground troops get intelligence inputs to act rapidly in critical mission scenarios.  

As the global security landscape experiences a significant transformation in different corners of the world, it presents unprecedented challenges in the present scenario. In this article, we will try to understand how countries can maintain their military capabilities with the help of advanced technologies like edge computing. 

‍

Edge Computing in Modern Warfare

‍

Edge computing involves the processing and storage of data at the point of collection on the battlefield, for example, through vehicles and drones, instead of relying on centralized data centers. This enables faster decision-making in real-time. This approach creates a resilient and secure network by reducing reliance on potentially compromised external connections, supporting autonomous systems, precision-based targeting, and data sharing among military personnel, drones, and command centers amidst a challenging environment.

A report released by the US Department of Defence in March 2025 found a crucial reality surrounding the operation of hardware relying on outdated industrial-age processes in the digital era. In the case of applications with video, edge computing helps to deliver significant advantages to a wide range of crucial military operations, which include: 

• Situational awareness with real-time data processing that provides improved battlefield visibility and proper threat detection. 
• Autonomous warfare systems such as drones, which use a tactical edge cloud computing to get the capability to navigate faster. 
• Developing a strong communication and networking capability to secure low-latency communication for troops to stay connected in challenging environments. 
• Ensuring predictive maintenance with the help of effective sensors to carry out edge detection and attrition at an early point, thereby reducing equipment failures. 
• Developing effective targeting and weapons systems to ensure faster processing to enable precision-based targeting and response, besides a strong logistics and supply chain that can provide real-time tracking to improve delivery accuracy and resource management. 

This report also highlighted that the DoD is rapidly updating its software and investing in AI enablers like data sets or MLOps tools. This also stresses the breaking down of integration barriers by enforcing MOSA (Modular Open Systems Approaches), APIs (Application Programming Interface), and modular interfaces to ensure interoperability across platforms, sensors, and networks to make software-defined warfare an effective strategy.  

‍

Developing Edge with Artificial Intelligence for Future Warfare

‍

A significant insight from the work of the US Department of Defense is its emphasis on the importance of edge computing in shaping the future of warfare. In that context, the Annual Threat Assessment Report highlights a key limitation of traditional AI strategies that rely on centralised cloud computing, since these might not be suitable for modern battlefields with congested networks and limited bandwidth. The need for real-time data processing requires a distributed and edge-based AI solution to address contemporary threats. This report also directly supports the deployment of effective edge with AI in a defined, disrupted, intermittent, and limited-bandwidth (DDIL) environment. In that case, when the communication networks fail, the edge servers at the edge of the network offer crucial advantages that cloud-dependent systems cannot. This ability to analyse data and make decisions without consistent connectivity and operate with limited computational resources is a strategic necessity. 

The scenario of warfare is a phenomenon that requires maintaining a strong strategic and tactical approach, which, in the present times, is being examined through the domain of digital platforms. Modern warfare patterns demand faster decision-making and edge computing deliveries by shifting the power of distant servers to the frontlines. The US military is already moving in the direction of deploying edge-enabled systems to prove the nature of sensors and networks to compute at the tactical edge to transform warfighting.

However, it can be understood with the help of an example, as creating fusion in the skies with F-35s. As they have showcased the capability of edge computing by fusing sensor data with MADL (Multi-Functional Advanced Data Link) to create a unified picture, making the squadrons a force multiplier. An example of this was visible when an F-35 relayed real-time tracking data, enabling a navy ship to neutralise a missile beyond its range.

‍

Conclusion: The Way Ahead 

‍

As the changing nature of warfare moves towards adopting software-defined systems, where edge computing thrives as a futuristic military technology, it calls for the need for integration across all domains of warfighting. But at the same time, several imperatives do emerge, such as: 

• Developing an open architecture that enables both flexibility and innovation. 
• Ensuring an effective connectivity that actually combines a confluence of legacy systems. 
• Developing interoperability among the systems that can function in synergy with all platforms and can function across all domains. 
• Prioritising edge-native AI development systems, where it is also necessary to ensure the shift to adopting cloud-based AI models to create solutions optimised from the ground up for edge deployment. 
• Investing in edge infrastructure to establish a robust edge computing infrastructure that enables rapid deployment by testing and updating AI capabilities across diverse hardware platforms. Like the way the military training academies in India are developing training infrastructures for training officer cadets or personnel to handle drones and all forms of advanced warfare tactics emerging in this age. 
• Fostering talent and expertise by embracing commercial solutions where software talent could be enabled across the enterprises with expertise in edge computing capabilities and AI. In this case, the role of the commercial sector can help to drive innovations in edge AI, and the only way to move in this direction is by leveraging these advances through partnerships and collaborative efforts. 

Taking the example of the ARPANET, which once seeded the modern internet, edge computing can also help to create a transformative network effect within the digital battlespace. In conclusion, future conflicts will be defined by the speed and accuracy provided by the edge, as nations integrating AI and robust edge infrastructures can hold a strong advantage in the multi-domain battlefields in the future.

‍

References 

‍

• https://www.idsa.in/mpidsanews/rk-narangs-article-what-the-regions-first-drone-warfare-taught-us-published-in-the-new-indian-express
• https://latentai.com/blog/software-defined-warfare-why-edge-ai-is-critical-to-americas-defense-future/
• https://www.boozallen.com/s/insight/blog/how-the-us-military-is-using-edge-computing.html
• https://capsindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/RK-Narang-3.pdf
• https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2025/May/12/what-the-regions-first-drone-warfare-taught-us
• https://www.maris-tech.com/blog/edge-computing-in-the-military-challenges-and-solutions/#:~:text=In%20modern%20warfare%2C%20decisions%20need,enables%20precision%20targeting%20and%20response ‍
• https://cassindia.com/digital-soldiers/

Executive Summary:

A viral online video claims to show a Syrian prisoner experiencing sunlight for the first time in 13 years. However, the CyberPeace Research Team has confirmed that the video is a deep fake, created using AI technology to manipulate the prisoner’s facial expressions and surroundings. The original footage is unrelated to the claim that the prisoner has been held in solitary confinement for 13 years. The assertion that this video depicts a Syrian prisoner seeing sunlight for the first time is false and misleading.

Claim A viral video falsely claims that a Syrian prisoner is seeing sunlight for the first time in 13 years.

‍

Factcheck:

‍

Upon receiving the viral posts, we conducted a Google Lens search on keyframes from the video. The search led us to various legitimate sources featuring real reports about Syrian prisoners, but none of them included any mention of such an incident. The viral video exhibited several signs of digital manipulation, prompting further investigation.

‍

We used AI detection tools, such as TrueMedia, to analyze the video. The analysis confirmed with 97.0% confidence that the video was a deepfake. The tools identified “substantial evidence of manipulation,” particularly in the prisoner’s facial movements and the lighting conditions, both of which appeared artificially generated.

‍

Additionally, a thorough review of news sources and official reports related to Syrian prisoners revealed no evidence of a prisoner being released from solitary confinement after 13 years, or experiencing sunlight for the first time in such a manner. No credible reports supported the viral video’s claim, further confirming its inauthenticity.

Conclusion:

The viral video claiming that a Syrian prisoner is seeing sunlight for the first time in 13 years is a deep fake. Investigations using tools like Hive AI  detection confirm that the video was digitally manipulated using AI technology. Furthermore, there is no supporting information in any reliable sources. The CyberPeace Research Team confirms that the video was fabricated, and the claim is false and misleading.

• Claim: Syrian prisoner sees sunlight for the first time in 13 years, viral on social media.
• Claimed on: Facebook and X(Formerly Twitter)
• Fact Check: False & Misleading

Introduction:

The National Security Council Secretariat, in strategic partnership with the Rashtriya Raksha University, Gujarat, conducted a 12-day Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise in 2024 (from 18th November to 29th November). This exercise included landmark events such as a CISO (Chief Information Security Officers) Conclave and a Cyber Security Start-up exhibition, which were inaugurated on 27 November 2024. Other key features of the exercise include cyber defense training, live-fire simulations, and strategic decision-making simulations. The aim of the exercise was to equip senior government officials and personnel in critical sector organisations with skills to deal with cybersecurity issues. The event also consisted of speeches, panel discussions, and initiatives such as the release of the National Cyber Reference Framework (NCRF)- which provides a structured approach to cyber governance, and the launch of the National Cyber Range(NCR) 1.0., a cutting-edge facility for cyber security research training.

The Deputy National Security Advisor, Shri T.V. Ravichandran (IPS) reiterated, through his speech, the importance of the inclusion of technology in challenges with respect to cyber security and shaping India’s cyber strategy in a manner that is proactive. The CISOs of both government and private entities were encouraged to take up multidimensional efforts which included technological upkeep but also soft skills for awareness.

CyberPeace Outlook

The Bharat National Cybersecurity Exercise (Bharat NCX) 2024 underscores India’s commitment to a comprehensive and inclusive approach to strengthening its cybersecurity ecosystem. By fostering collaboration between startups, government bodies, and private organizations, the initiative facilitates dialogue among CISOs and promotes a unified strategy toward cyber resilience. Platforms like Bharat NCX encourage exploration in the Indian entrepreneurial space, enabling startups to innovate and contribute to critical domains like cybersecurity. Developments such as IIT Indore’s intelligent receivers (useful for both telecommunications and military operations) and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited’s plans to establish a dedicated Security Operations Centre (SOC) to counter cyber threats are prime examples of technological strides fostering national cyber resilience.

Cybersecurity cannot be understood in isolation: it is an integral aspect of national security, impacting the broader digital infrastructure supporting Digital India initiatives. The exercise emphasises skills training, creating a workforce adept in cyber hygiene, incident response, and resilience-building techniques. Such efforts bolster proficiency across sectors, aligning with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. By integrating cybersecurity into workplace technologies and fostering a culture of awareness, Bharat NCX 2024 is a platform that encourages innovation and is a testament to the government’s resolve to fortify India’s digital landscape against evolving threats. 

References

1. https://ciso.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/cybercrime-fraud/bharat-cisos-conclave-cybersecurity-startup-exhibition-inaugurated-under-bharat-ncx-2024/115755679
2. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2078093
3. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/iit-indore-unveils-groundbreaking-intelligent-receivers-for-enhanced-6g-and-military-communication-security/articleshow/115265902.cms
4. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/defence-system-to-be-set-up-to-protect-metro-rail-from-cyber-threats/article68841318.ece
5. https://rru.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Brochure12-min.pdf

‍