Fake Pentagon Explosion Fact Focus

FILE - The Pentagon is seen from Air Force One as it flies over Washington, March 2, 2022. A fake image purportedly showing an explosion near the Pentagon has been widely shared on social media, sending a brief shiver through the stock market. But police and fire officials in Arlington, Va., said Monday, May 22, 2023, that the image isn't real and there was no incident at the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters.

Tags

As featured on

FACT FOCUS: Fake image of Pentagon explosion briefly sends jitters through stock market

FACT FOCUS: Fake image of Pentagon explosion briefly sends jitters through stock market

A fake image purportedly showing an explosion near the Pentagon has been widely shared on social media, sending a brief shiver through the stock market. But police and fire officials in Arlington, Virginia, said Monday that the image isn't real and there was no incident at the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters. Misinformation experts say the viral image displayed telltale signs of an AI-generated forgery. Business analysts said the visual hoax underscores the damage that increasingly sophisticated image generating software can inflict.