AI Images Falsely Shared as Real Photos of Paris Protests

Paris in flames. An elderly couple robbed in the street. Both images spread online as real photos of the October unrest in France. Both were AI-generated.

What Happened

Nationwide marches over the cost of living took place across France in October. The interior ministry said 550,000 people attended. The CGT union, which took part, said 800,000 participated.^[1]

Police used tear gas and water cannon. Fires were set and stores looted.^[1] AAP FactCheck reports the protests escalated into widespread riots on October 17.^[3]

The first image showed an aerial view of Paris on fire around the Eiffel Tower. A Thai-language X post on October 19 called it a photograph taken on October 17. Similar posts circulated on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and X in English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Korean.^[1]

AFP traced the earliest version to a now-deleted Instagram post from October 18, captioned "Paris 17/10/2026." The account was described as belonging to an Airbus A320 captain working for Air Corsica. It had previously posted other AI-generated images. Air Corsica declined to comment when contacted on October 21.^[1]

The details did not hold up. The Eiffel Tower was lit from 7 pm on October 17 until 1:05 am. FlightRadar24 data showed one Air Corsica aircraft left Paris-Orly between 7 pm and 1 am that night: flight XK753 to Figari. It took off at 7:10 pm and turned east without flying over Paris.^[1]

Landmarks that should be visible were missing, including the dome of Les Invalides, the Montparnasse Tower and the La Défense towers. Google's SynthID Detector indicated the image was generated or modified using OpenAI technology.^[1] AAP FactCheck also noted the Champ de Mars, the illuminated avenues and the Seine were absent.^[2]

The second image showed an elderly couple supposedly left in their underwear near the presidential palace. An X account posted it on October 17. The post has since been deleted. The account's user confirmed to the BBC that the image was AI generated.^[2]

Others reshared it without that context. One Facebook and Instagram video presented it as real alongside the aerial image.^[2]

The image carries a SynthID watermark. OpenAI's verification tool and Google's detector both linked it to OpenAI tools. Two heads in the background merge, only one pair of legs is shown and the woman's left hand is distorted. According to France 24, a street bollard does not match the style seen in Paris. The Paris prosecutor's office said it had no reports of such an incident.^[2]

AAP FactCheck also found videos presented as French looting were filmed elsewhere: a November 2023 flash mob at a Los Angeles Nike store, and street vendors on Madrid's Gran Via posted on X on October 12.^[3]

Why It Matters

Real fires did burn in Paris. AFP photographers documented some with the Eiffel Tower in view.^[1] The fake aerial image circulated alongside that genuine coverage. Same city. Different reality.

Each image fell apart under several independent checks: origin, flight records, geography, visual errors and watermarks. A watermark or detector result is a signal, not proof.

What to Do

• Find the first post. Reverse image search often leads to the original account and its history.
• Check the details against the record. Landmarks, lighting times and flight paths can be verified.
• Look for official confirmation. A dramatic crime with no police or prosecutor record deserves caution.
• Pause before sharing. Resharing an unverified image spreads it further, whatever the caption says.

Verify What You See and Hear

Upload any suspicious image or video frame at witness.vision/scan to check for signs of AI generation. The Witness Chrome extension scans images directly on any webpage.

Scan now at witness.vision/scan