#FactCheck - Viral Video of Aircraft Carrier Destroyed in Sea Storm Is AI-Generated
Social media users are widely sharing a video claiming to show an aircraft carrier being destroyed after getting trapped in a massive sea storm. In the viral clip, the aircraft carrier can be seen breaking apart amid violent waves, with users describing the visuals as a “wrath of nature.”
However, CyberPeace Foundation’s research has found this claim to be false. Our fact-check confirms that the viral video does not depict a real incident and has instead been created using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Claim:
An X (formerly Twitter) user shared the viral video with the caption,“Nature’s wrath captured on camera.”The video shows an aircraft carrier appearing to be devastated by a powerful ocean storm. The post can be viewed here, and its archived version is available here.
https://x.com/Maailah1712/status/2011672435255624090
Fact Check:
At first glance, the visuals shown in the viral video appear highly unrealistic and cinematic, raising suspicion about their authenticity. The exaggerated motion of waves, structural damage to the vessel, and overall animation-like quality suggest that the video may have been digitally generated. To verify this, we analyzed the video using AI detection tools.
The analysis conducted by Hive Moderation, a widely used AI content detection platform, indicates that the video is highly likely to be AI-generated. According to Hive’s assessment, there is nearly a 90 percent probability that the visual content in the video was created using AI.
Conclusion
The viral video claiming to show an aircraft carrier being destroyed in a sea storm is not related to any real incident.It is a computer-generated, AI-created video that is being falsely shared online as a real natural disaster. By circulating such fabricated visuals without verification, social media users are contributing to the spread of misinformation.
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Executive Summary:
A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) gained much attention, creating a false narrative of recent damage caused by the earthquake in Tibet. Our findings confirmed that the clip was not filmed in Tibet, instead it came from an earthquake that occurred in Japan in the past. The origin of the claim is traced in this report. More to this, analysis and verified findings regarding the evidence have been put in place for further clarification of the misinformation around the video.
Claim:
The viral video shows collapsed infrastructure and significant destruction, with the caption or claims suggesting it is evidence of a recent earthquake in Tibet. Similar claims can be found here and here
Fact Check:
The widely circulated clip, initially claimed to depict the aftermath of the most recent earthquake in Tibet, has been rigorously analyzed and proven to be misattributed. A reverse image search based on the Keyframes of the claimed video revealed that the footage originated from a devastating earthquake in Japan in the past. According to an article published by a Japanese news website, the incident occurred in February 2024. The video was authenticated by news agencies, as it accurately depicted the scenes of destruction reported during that event.
Moreover, the same video was already uploaded on a YouTube channel, which proves that the video was not recent. The architecture, the signboards written in Japanese script, and the vehicles appearing in the video also prove that the footage belongs to Japan, not Tibet. The video shows news from Japan that occurred in the past, proving the video was shared with different context to spread false information.
The video was uploaded on February 2nd, 2024.
Snap from viral video
Snap from Youtube video
Conclusion:
The video viral about the earthquake recently experienced by Tibet is, therefore, wrong as it appears to be old footage from Japan, a previous earthquake experienced by this nation. Thus, the need for information verification, such that doing this helps the spreading of true information to avoid giving false data.
- Claim: A viral video claims to show recent earthquake destruction in Tibet.
- Claimed On: X (Formerly Known As Twitter)
- Fact Check: False and Misleading
Introduction
India has been a nation where technology penetration has been a little slower in the previous decades; however, that has changed now. Cyberspace has influenced and touched every country and has significantly diminished the gap between developing nations, developed nations, and underdeveloped nations. This has also been substantiated and strengthened during the Covid-19 pandemic as the world went into lockdown and the cyberspace was the only medium of communication and information. India witnessed a rise of 61% in terms of internet users, and a significant part of this number represented rural India.
New Standards
These standards have been released in threefold aspects covering – Digital Television Receivers, USB Type-C chargers, and Video Surveillance Systems, thus streamlining the use of gadgets and reduction of e-waste for the country.
1. Digital Television Receivers
The Indian standard IS 18112:2022 specification for digital television, and this standard would enable reception of free-to-air TV and radio channels just by connecting a dish antenna with LNB mounted on a suitable area with good signal reception. This will help in the transmission of knowledge about government initiatives and schemes, the educational content of Doordarshan, and the repository of Indian cultural programs. Doordarshan is in the process of phasing out analog transmission, and free-to-air channels will continue to be broadcast using digital satellite transmission. The keen aspects of educational and awareness programs run by the Govt and CSOs will impact more Indians than before as the Ministry of Information and Broadcast intends to increase their free channels of Doordarshan from 55 to 200 by the end of this year, which shows the importance of developments in the mass media industry.
2. USB Type C
Standard (IS/IEC 62680-1-3:2022) for USB Type-C receptacles, plugs, and cables adopting the existing global standard IEC 62680-1-3:2022. This standard provides for the requirements for USB type C ports and cables for use in various electronic devices like laptops, mobile phones, and other gadgets. This standard is similar to the new European standard, which is also aimed at the reduction of carbon emissions and e-waste; this move will result in ease for the industry and the end users. This will also contribute towards the strengthening of the cyber security aspects and prevent threats like ‘Juice Jacking’ to a massive extent.
3. Video Surveillance System
IS 16190, this standard provides a detailed outline of the aspects of a video surveillance system, such as requirements for its components like camera devices, interfaces, system requirements, and tests to ascertain the camera’s image quality on different devices. This series of standards would assist customers, installers, and users in establishing their requirements and determining the appropriate equipment required for their intended application and also provide means of evaluating the performance of the VSS objectively. This will also help in the improvement of surveillance by the individuals, and this will also help in the better investigation by Law enforcement agencies and faster apprehension of criminals, thus contributing to an overall safe society.
The Advantages
These standards are in power with the Internationally prevalent standards, thus taking the safety factors to the global aspect. This will also allow the Indian industry to create world-class products which can be shared all across the globe. This will open India to various opportunities and job avenues, thus opening the world to invest in India. The aspect of Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Digital India will be strengthened to a new level as the nation will be able to deliver products in power with quality in developed countries. The end Indian consumer will benefit the most from these upgraded standards in terms of Digital Televisions, Type ‘C’ USB chargers, and Video surveillance systems, as these impacts the consumers’ daily activities in terms of security and access to information.
- Reduction in Carbon Emission
- Production of World Class components and devices
- Boost to the economy and Atmanirbhar Bharat
- New avenues and opportunities for startups and MSMEs
- Better transmission of Knowledge
- Boosting FDI
- Improved quality of products for the end consumer
- New innovation hubs and exposure to global talents
This government move simply shows how India is working toward securing the Sustainable development Goals (SDG) by United Nations. This clearly shares the message to the world that India is ready for the future and will also be a helping hand to various developing and underdeveloped nations in the times to come.
Conclusion
These standards will significantly contribute towards the reduction of E-Waste and unnecessary accessories for daily use gadgets. This strengthens the reduction in carbon emissions and thus contributes towards the perseverance of the environment and working towards sustainable development goals. Such standards will lead the future towards securing the netizens and their new and evolving digital habits. In the current phase of cyberspace, the most essential aspect of establishing Critical Infrastructure as the same will act as a shield against the threats of cyberspace.
Assembly elections are due to be held in Assam later this year, with polling likely in April or May. Ahead of the elections, a video claiming to be an Aaj Tak news bulletin is being widely circulated on social media.
In the viral video, Aaj Tak anchor Rajiv Dhoundiyal is allegedly seen stating that a leaked intelligence report has issued a warning for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam. The clip claims that according to this purported report, the BJP may suffer significant losses in the upcoming Assembly elections. Several social media users sharing the video have also claimed that the alleged intelligence report signals the possible removal of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from office.
However, an investigation by the Cyber Peace Foundation found the viral claim to be false. Our probe clearly established that no leaked intelligence report related to the Assam Assembly elections exists.
Further, Aaj Tak has neither published nor broadcast any such report on its official television channel, website, or social media platforms. The investigation also revealed that the viral video itself is not authentic and has been created using deepfake technology.
Claim
On social media platform Facebook, a user shared the viral video claiming that the BJP has been pushed on the back foot following organisational changes in the Congress—appointing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as chairperson of the election screening committee and Gaurav Gogoi as the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president. The post further claims that an Intelligence Bureau report predicts that the current Assam government will not return to power.
(Link to the post, archive link, and screenshots are available.)
FactCheck:
To verify the claim, we first searched for reports related to any alleged leaked intelligence assessment concerning the Assam Assembly elections using relevant keywords. However, no credible or reliable reports supporting the claim were found. We then reviewed Aaj Tak’s official website, social media pages, and YouTube channel. Our examination confirmed that no such news bulletin has been published or broadcast by the network on any of its official platforms.
- https://www.facebook.com/aajtak/?locale=hi_IN
- https://www.instagram.com/aajtak/
- https://x.com/aajtak
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt4t-jeY85JegMlZ-E5UWtA
To further verify the authenticity of the video, its audio was scanned using the deepfake voice detection tool HIVE Moderation.
The analysis revealed that the voice heard in the video is 99 per cent AI-generated, clearly indicating that the audio is not genuine and has been artificially created using artificial intelligence.
Additionally, the video was analysed using another AI detection tool, Aurigin AI, which also identified the viral clip as AI-generated.
Conclusion:
The investigation clearly establishes that there is no leaked intelligence report predicting BJP’s defeat in the Assam Assembly elections. Aaj Tak has not published or broadcast any such content on its official platforms. The video circulating on social media is not authentic and has been created using deepfake technology to mislead viewers.
