A video that has been viewed more than 3 million times began circulating on social media as fines for traffic violations were significantly increased in various parts of the country. The clip purports to show a man on a bicycle being ticketed for not wearing a helmet in Islamabad.
That claim is false. This viral video was generated using artificial intelligence tools.
Claim
On December 2, a TikTok user posted a nine-second clip with a caption in Urdu that read, “The cyclist was also fined for not wearing a helmet.”
The video purportedly shows a traffic police officer issuing a no-passing order to a cyclist. A cyclist is also shown arguing with a traffic warden, saying: “What challans are there on bicycles? What did I do wrong? Why is there a helmet law for cyclists?”
The traffic policeman replied: “The law is the same for everyone. You didn't have a helmet and you were in the wrong lane. Rules are rules.”
As of this writing, the post has been viewed over 3 million times, shared over 18,000 times, and liked over 113,000 times.
Similar claims were also shared on YouTube here and here.
fact
Multiple AI detection tools and Islamabad's Chief Traffic Officer confirmed that the online video was generated using AI.
Checking geographical facts We analyzed the viral clip in detail and observed several anomalies. For example, a cyclist's lips and teeth have unnatural shapes, which are commonly associated with AI-generated content.
Additionally, the text on the traffic warden's badge is gibberish, as is the text on the store sign in the background.
Checking geographical facts We then used Hive Moderation, an AI content detection platform, which gave the video a total score of 99.7%, indicating it contained AI-generated or deepfake content. DeepFake O Meter, a tool developed by the University at Buffalo, found that there was a 99.1% chance that the clip was generated by AI.
Additionally, Hiya, a deepfake audio detection tool, gave the audio a low reliability score of 48 out of 100, suggesting it may contain deepfake audio.
Checking geographical facts We have also contacted Islamabad's Chief Traffic Officer Captain Hamza Humayun to confirm this claim as the uniform of the traffic warden seen in the video resembles that of the Islamabad Police. talk to Checking geographical facts Humayun said by phone that the video was likely generated by AI.
He added: “Although there is no law requiring cyclists to wear helmets, we educate cyclists about road safety.”
verdict: Visible discrepancies, findings from multiple AI detection tools, and confirmation from Islamabad's Chief Traffic Officer prove that a video purporting to show a cyclist not wearing a helmet was generated by AI and does not depict an actual incident.
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