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2024 was a year filled with misinformation and disinformation, but it’s also a testament to human creativity when it comes to creating convincing fake images. From deepfakes to AI-generated “reality,” we’ve seen some truly impressive forgeries go viral on the internet. Here are 15 of the biggest fake images that went viral in 2024:
1. The “New” Google Logo: This one was particularly egregious, as it appeared to show a redesigned Google logo with a bold new font and color scheme. Of course, it was just a deepfake designed to get people talking.
2. Fake Tom Hanks Death Hoax: In the early months of 2024, a fake news article claimed that Tom Hanks had passed away. The image accompanying the story showed a somber-faced Hanks with a caption claiming he’d died from cancer. Luckily, it was just a Photoshopped hoax.
3. “Alien Life Discovered on Mars”: NASA denied this one quickly, but not before it spread like wildfire online. A fake image of an alien creature supposedly discovered on Mars had many convinced that we were alone in the universe no more.
4. “Elon Musk’s New Face” Deepfake: Someone created a deepfake video showing Elon Musk with a drastically different face shape and features. It was quickly debunked, but not before it racked up millions of views on social media.
5. Fake Trump Testimonial for a Car Company: A doctored image appeared to show Donald Trump giving a glowing review to an electric car company. Needless to say, it was just someone trying to get attention.
6. “New iPhone Design” Leak: Apple fans were excited when this seemingly leaked design of the next iPhone appeared online. But, alas, it was a Photoshopped fake designed to generate buzz.
7. Fake Image of a Cheetah in the Wild (Not So) Spotted: A viral image showed a majestic cheetah stalking its prey in the wild. Unfortunately, it was just someone’s artistic creation and not an actual photo taken in the field.
8. “New James Bond Movie Poster” Faux pas: A fake movie poster claiming to be for the next James Bond film appeared online, complete with Daniel Craig giving a stern look as Bond. Yeah, nope – completely fabricated.
9. Fake Image of UFO Sighting Over New York City: A viral image appeared showing what was claimed to be an alien spaceship hovering above Manhattan. Not a chance! It was just someone’s CGI creation.
10. “New Harry Styles Album Art” Fake-Off: An image purporting to be the cover art for a new Harry Styles album made the rounds online. Sorry, die-hard fans – it’s not real!
11. Fake “NASA Image of Earth in 2050”: Someone created an image claiming to show what Earth would look like in 30 years due to climate change. The problem? It was just a manipulated version of an existing NASA photo.
12. “New Star Wars Trailer” Faux pas: A fake trailer for the next Star Wars film made waves online, but unfortunately, it was just some talented fan’s creation and not an official Lucasfilm release.
13. Fake Image of Elon Musk Stepping Down as Tesla CEO: When this image appeared showing Elon stepping down from his role at Tesla, many were shocked – until they realized it was a deepfake designed to create chaos.
14. “New Apple Watch Design” Leak: Another fake design leak made the rounds online, claiming to show the next Apple Watch’s radical new design. Sorry, tech enthusiasts – it’s just someone trying to get attention.
15. Fake “BTS Music Video” Screenshots: The K-pop sensation’s fans were duped by an image purporting to be official screenshots from a new BTS music video. It was, of course, completely fabricated.
In conclusion, 2024 has seen its fair share of fake images and deepfakes spreading like wildfire online. But with these examples, we hope to remind you that fact-checking is crucial in today’s digital age!
Source: gizmodo.com
