“Tap on image results and instead of the usual photos of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, and the iconic image of a brave protester staring down a convoy of tanks that was captured in 1989, the first result was the same historic moment – but from a different point of view.”
– Chris Stokel-Walker
The Guardian reports on how a synthesized news image points to a new future with AI-generated imagery. The example they give is the iconic “tank man” protestor in Tiananmen Square, and how the moment was recomposed and posted on Google, replacing notice for the actual photo until the synthetic version was taken down.
The difference with images previously known as deepfakes, says The Guardian, is the new ubiquity of the technology.
Observers are concerned about the potential for fabricated imagery in the upcoming US election cycle.