AI-generated image misleadingly shared as metro breakdown in Greek city
- Published on December 19, 2024 at 11:34
- 4 min read
- By Théophile BLOUDANIS, AFP Greece
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"Increased traffic in the tunnels of #metrο_thessaloniki", read a Facebook post from December 15, 2024, shared more than 1100 times.
The post shared a screenshot of a picture, showing a crowd of people walking in what appears to be a subway tunnel.
Similar posts were shared here or here on Facebook and here on X on the same day that Thessaloniki's newly-commissioned metro broke down, forcing passengers to walk through the train tunnel to the next station (archived here).
Comments from some users on the posts indicated they believed the image was real. "They all move like sheep", wrote one user, while another said: "Tragic image".
Most, however, commented on the real metro train breakdown which brought the subway to a standstill, prompting a flood of reactions and outrage on social networks. Other genuine videos show passengers walking through the metro tunnel after the incident (archived here). A preliminary investigation was subsequently ordered by the Thessaloniki public prosecutor's office on December 17, 2024 (archived here).
Nevertheless, the image of a densely packed metro tunnel shared online was generated by AI.
An AI image from a stock platform
A reverse image search led us to this image published on a site called "StockCake" alongside the title "Crowded tunnel commute" (archived here). The description read: "A bustling crowd of commuters fills a narrow tunnel, converging towards a distant, illuminated exit".
It stated that the image was generated by AI, and included the English description that was used to create the picture in an AI generator: "In a densely populated underground tunnel, a sea of commuters is captured moving in unison towards a bright exit point at the end. The picture showcases a daily routine of urban life, with each individual engrossed in their journey, amidst the hustle and bustle. The warm lighting casts gentle shadows, adding depth and a sense of urgency to the scene, while the focused expressions and diverse attire of each person add to the narrative of a busy weekday morning".
Additionally, when we moved our cursor over the "AI Generated" label next to the image, it said that "All photos on StockCake are generated by AI. AI can make mistakes. Consider checking important information".
Moreover, we found that neither the passenger areas nor the train tunnels on the Thessaloniki metro resemble the scene in the AI image, as shown in the image comparison below:
Other photos of metro stations in Thessaloniki have also been published by Greek online media and bear no resemblance to the AI image.
Finally, a comparison of the AI image (right) with genuine videos and photos of the tunnel chaos posted by users on social networks (left) found they do not match:
AFP has previously verified claims about the Thessaloniki metro here.
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