AI-generated image circulates in false posts about Egyptian pyramid construction
- Published on July 12, 2024 at 05:53
- Updated on July 23, 2024 at 10:35
- 4 min read
- By AFP Indonesia
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"Photo of pyramids' workers in Egypt. The photo was taken during constructions in 2549 BC. It proves that the pyramids were not built by alien (sic)," read the caption alongside the image shared on Facebook on June 21.
The Giza pyramids were built between 2589 and 2504 BC, according to the Ancient Egypt Research Associates (archived link).
Successful experiments in photography only began 202 years ago in 1822, when French inventor Nicephore Niepce succeeded in copying oiled engravings onto lithographic stone, glass and zinc (archived link).
In 1826, Niepce produced the first successful photograph of nature using a camera obscura fitted with a pewter plate.
The image also circulated with a similar claim elsewhere on Facebook here, here, here, here, here and here.
Some Facebook users appeared to believe the image was taken in 2549 BC, thousands of years before photography was invented.
"Crazy how strong they were," commented one user.
"People in the past were really strong," said another user.
The image also circulated with a similar false claim in English, French, Japanese, simplified Chinese, Malay and Thai.
Edited image
Reverse image searches using Google and Yandex found that a clearer version of the image was previously published by a Facebook page called Institute of Alternative History and Archaeology on November 23, 2023 alongside two other images (archived link).
The page made it clear in the caption that the post was intended as a joke.
The post's caption read: "Official photos taken during the construction of the Great Pyramids in Egypt, 2600 BC. (a little humor)".
Another Facebook page published the image on November 27, 2023, saying it was "purely fictional for entertainment purposes" (archived link).
The page later said on March 25 that the image was AI-generated (archived link).
Below is a screenshot comparison between the image shared in the false Facebook post (left) and the same image posted by the Institute of Alternative History and Archaeology page (right):
Signs of AI
The image contained signs of being generated using AI technology, including odd feet and body shapes.
Below is a screenshot of the image shared by the Institute of Alternative History and Archaeology page where AFP has highlighted various inconsistencies:
AFP ran the image through the Hive AI Detector tool which said it was "100% AI-generated" as shown below (archived link):
Historical inaccuracy
Experts who analysed the image told AFP that it does not correctly depict how Egyptians transported blocks to build the pyramids.
"It is far more likely that the blocks were dragged on sleds—certainly images from ancient Egypt that show the moving of large objects employ that method," said Salima Ikram, an archaeologist and professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.
"The image might be from a film or might even be AI-generated," Ikram added.
"That is not the way the ancient Egyptians transported blocks," said Mark Lehner, the head and president of the Ancient Research Associates.
Indian fact-check organisation Factly previously debunked this claim (archived link).
AFP has debunked other misinformation involving AI-generated images here, here, here and here.
Corrects Malaysian to Malay in the 10th paragraph.July 12, 2024 Corrects Malaysian to Malay in the 10th paragraph.
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