Fake AI History Photos Cloud the Past

A wave of touching photos, appearing to capture great historical moments, has fascinated amateur historians online. However, these images need to be more authentic and may distort our understanding of the past.

Widely shared on social media, these atmospheric black-and-white shots — such as a mother and her child starving during the Great Depression or an exhausted soldier in the Vietnam War — may initially seem like authentic historical documents. However, these images are artificial creations generated by AI, raising concerns among researchers about eroding historical accuracy.

"AI has caused a tsunami of fake history, especially images," said Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse, a Dutch historian who debunks false claims online. "Sometimes, they even make an AI version of a real old photo. It is bizarre, especially when the original is very famous."

One example is an AI-generated photo shared on Facebook, depicting two young, clean-shaven men posing in front of an antique biplane. The image was purported to show Orville and Wilbur Wright at the time of their first powered flight. However, historical records reveal a stark contrast: the honest Orville and Wilbur sported mustaches and flat caps, looking nothing like the blond pair depicted in the AI-generated image.

The manipulation does not stop with misrepresented individuals.

AI tools like Midjourney, a popular online image generator, have produced fake reproductions of significant historical events. These include depictions of Lee Harvey Oswald, the suspected assassin of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, being shot by Jack Ruby in 1963.

Other AI-created images purport to show iconic moments like the atomic bomb explosion over Hiroshima in 1945, the Soviet-allied invasion of Prague in 1968, and even fantastical versions of the Roman Colosseum in ancient times.

"These AI creations often focus on events too far in the past to have been photographed or poorly documented moments," noted Marina Amaral, an artist known for adding color to black-and-white photographs. "This creates a risk of false visuals being accepted as fact, which could, over time, distort our understanding of history and weaken public trust in visual evidence as a reliable source for learning about the past."

Experts like Teeuwisse and Amaral believe they can still distinguish fake historical images from genuine ones by analyzing visual inconsistencies.

AI-generated photos often contain tell-tale glitches, such as too many fingers on a hand, missing critical details — like the absence of a propeller on the Wright brothers' plane — or scenes that appear too perfect.

"AI-generated pictures can recreate the look, but they miss the human element, the intent, the reason behind the photographer's choices," Amaral explained. "They may be visually convincing, but they're ultimately hollow."

According to Teeuwisse, the imperfections in real historical photographs often give them authenticity. "In genuine photos, there's usually something out of focus, someone looks silly by accident, or the makeup isn't quite right," she said.

While identifying AI-generated fakes is still possible today, both experts warn that it's only a matter of time before the technology becomes advanced enough to produce flawless forgeries. "It's a dangerous prospect," Teeuwisse admitted, "because once the fakes become indistinguishable, it will amplify disinformation, making it harder for the public to trust visual evidence."

The rise of AI-generated imagery underscores the need for vigilance and media literacy. As these artificial creations flood social platforms, they risk confusing history enthusiasts and undermining the credibility of historical records. Recognizing and questioning these false visuals will be crucial in maintaining an accurate understanding of the past.