As the internet shutdown leaves Iranians desperate for news about the protests sweeping their country, analysts say fake AI-generated videos are starting to fill the void.
Imaginary scenes shared on social media include a woman breaking the window of a police car and protesters setting up road signs in support of US President Donald Trump.
There was also fake “footage” purportedly showing large pro-regime rallies in Iranian cities. NewsGuard, a website that rates the credibility of online content, said people are “turning to AI video generators to advance their stories.”
It identified seven AI-generated videos showing protests in Iran, some of which supported the protests, and others of which supported the government. These have been viewed at least 3.5 million times.
AI video software has become more widely available in recent months, and tools like Open AI’s Sora 2 generate realistic videos from a few lines of text.
One of the fake clips shows a woman destroying a vehicle belonging to Iran’s Basij militia. It includes unrealistic elements such as shards of glass appearing out of nowhere and people sitting motionless in a van.
Another fake video on TikTok shows an Iranian protester holding up a “Trump Street” sign. The small print acknowledges that it was generated by AI.
Iran International reported one genuine case of such behavior, while NewsGuard said users were “posting AI-generated videos to make it appear that such behavior is a widespread, nationwide phenomenon.”
Some human rights groups say thousands of people have been killed in Iranian protests. Iranian leaders have weathered uprisings before, but the uprising has raised hopes among the opposition that it will end 47 years of clerical rule.
Trump threatened to step in to help protesters, but on Wednesday he said Iran’s planned executions “will not happen”, suggesting the situation is calming down.
Asked if this meant military action was off the table, Trump said: “We’ll be watching to see how that process plays out.”
