UML Leaders And Activists Sharing AI-Generated Photos And Videos To Exaggerate Crowd Size
मंसिर २८, २०८२ १६:१५
Kathmandu: A photo shared by UML supporters on social media on Saturday, showing a large crowd at the party’s 11th general convention, drew widespread attention. UML leader Mahesh Basnet posted the photo, sparking heated debate online.
UML supporters claimed the photo was real. Media outlets accused them of spreading misleading content by posting an image taken when the crowd was smaller. TechPana’s investigation confirmed that the photo is misleading.
The photo, which claimed to show lakhs of people at Bhaktapur’s Sallaghari Chaur, carries a watermark of Bachan Raj Joshi. Basnet shared the same image on his social media, and other CPN-UML members amplified it, claiming a large turnout.
After media outlets reported that the photo was edited and irrelevant, Joshi tried to confirm that it was from Saturday’s event. Once it was revealed that AI had created the image, he wrote, “It is natural for opponents to think that everything is AI. It is very easy for them to say that it is AI when they have no other issue to protest. What do they say about this drone video now?” However, there is strong evidence that the video is also AI-generated.
Profile Analysis of Bachan Raj Joshi
Joshi, who identifies as a journalist, posted the drone photo at 2:07 pm on Saturday. Immediately afterward, he shared a video contradicting media claims. Before this, he had never posted drone shots. He chairs a media outlet called Kamana TV, which also had no prior drone footage. The absence of other drone content raises doubts about the authenticity of his posts.
Technical Analysis of the Photo
A Google reverse image search shows the photo appeared online only after Saturday. ‘Fake Image Detector’ suggested the photo may have been AI-created or digitally altered. No AI watermark is visible. However, when the original drone photo of the convention was uploaded to ChatGPT with the prompt “Fill in the blanks with a human,” the output matched Joshi’s viral image.
The AI detection platform Hive Moderation indicated that only 5.9 percent of a photo generated via ChatGPT could have been AI, further suggesting manipulation.
Comparison With Original Drone Photo
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A green carpet on the stage and a fence in front are missing in the AI-generated image.
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A board displaying ‘CPN UML’ in English and ‘नेकपा UML’ in Nepali is absent in the AI image.
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A temple figure on the stage is unclear in the AI photo.
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Blue and white chairs on stage are missing in the AI-generated version.
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Colorful chairs in the auditorium appear empty in the AI image, whereas they were occupied in reality.
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Spectators’ faces and appearances are blurred, showing typical AI weaknesses.
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Some houses visible in the real drone shot are absent in the AI image, despite matching angles.
These findings confirm that Joshi’s photo was modified using AI tools like ChatGPT. He also posted a 20-second video claiming it was a drone shot, but evidence suggests it was AI-generated. The AI-created video shows people walking unnaturally; some disappear mid-frame. The AI added elements such as a tree and a house not present in the actual location. Movements and zoom speeds differ from real drone footage.
After media reports exposed the fake photo, Joshi accused outlets of failing to verify. Technical analysis confirms that the images and video he shared were computer-generated.
UML leader Mahesh Basnet has also repeatedly shared AI-generated photos to exaggerate crowd sizes. Some images display the ‘Gemini’ logo, while others distort Nepali script, further confirming manipulation.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: मंसिर २८, २०८२ १६:१५
