Chernobyl: Viral video highlights challenge of AI misinformation
A black-and-white video claiming to show the explosion of the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl has become extremely popular online and is being widely shared. However, it's fake news. Experts emphasize not to be fooled, as the basic information doesn't add up.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from the reality created by artificial intelligence. An example is the incredibly popular footage of the Chernobyl disaster from nearly 40 years ago that's been circulating online for a few days. The alleged archival footage of the reactor explosion was posted online in connection with the recent anniversary of the Chernobyl tragedy. It shows the moment of the explosion, and a huge cloud of radioactive smoke appears. The viral 17-second video is not real.
Recording from Chernobyl generated by artificial intelligence
The footage was widely shared by users on social media. As confirmed by the creators of the Napromieniowani.pl channel on platform X, it's a fake video created by artificial intelligence based on an authentic photo.
The creators of this material did not indicate anywhere that it was produced using artificial intelligence, which is why many people, without knowledge of the details of the disaster from almost 40 years ago, thought it was real. This also shows that new technologies are developing at a rapid pace and a well-fabricated video or photo can easily be perceived as true without much thought.
"Even if [the video—ed.] appeared just now, it couldn't be authentic because the explosion occurred at night, exactly at 1:23 AM. Additionally, the video contains numerous errors, such as incorrect proportions of the Unit 4 building and improper construction of the ventilation chimney," they describe. They also remind us that to this day, no footage from that period has been found, and there is no evidence that any exists at all.
This was the largest nuclear accident in history
The explosion of the RBMK-1000 reactor in Unit 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant took place on April 26, 1986. This disaster was the largest nuclear accident in history. The cloud of radioactive dust spread all over Europe. To this day, the exact number of fatalities remains unknown—estimates range from 4,000 to even a million people.
