ALBAWABA - A photo allegedly showing Russian President Vladimir Putin on his knee while kissing his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping's hand is widely shared on social media platforms.
Xi, general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, wrapped up a three-day state visit to Moscow Wednesday, his first trip abroad since his re-election as president of the Republic of China in the 2023 National People's Congress.
Hi, I'm a tech reporter that covers China, cybersecurity, & new media. Hundreds of people are sharing this photo of Xi Jinping & Vladimir Putin as they meet at the Kremlin. The two did meet, but it's highly likely this photo was generated by an AI program. Here's why: ? pic.twitter.com/6xqsDLxiMa
— Amanda Florian 小爱 (@Amanda_Florian) March 21, 2023
The alleged photo was widely labelled as fake by many social media users, who speculated that it may have possibly been generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) program.
A tech reporter posted a photo from the real meeting and highlighted that the chairs in the actual meeting looked different from the photo in which Putin is seen kissing Xi's hand, which supports the thinking that the picture is likely fake, photoshopped or generated by AI technology.
Hi, I'm a tech reporter that covers China, cybersecurity, & new media. Hundreds of people are sharing this photo of Xi Jinping & Vladimir Putin as they meet at the Kremlin. The two did meet, but it's highly likely this photo was generated by an AI program. Here's why: ? pic.twitter.com/6xqsDLxiMa
— Amanda Florian 小爱 (@Amanda_Florian) March 21, 2023
The Chinese president left Moscow Wednesday following a state visit during which he and Putin voiced concern over NATO's expansion in Asia and agreed to bolster a partnership that has thrived since the war in Ukraine.
