Photo of Andriy Yermak relaxing by a pool in Spain is fake, fact-checkers say

A photograph circulating on social media, purportedly showing Andriy Yermak, the former head of the Ukrainian President's Office, lounging by a pool in the Spanish city of Taragona, has been debunked as an artificial intelligence creation. The image, which depicted Yermak on an inflatable mattress with a cocktail in hand, was shared widely in Lithuanian and Russian. However, fact-checkers utilized OpenAI's tools to detect a hidden digital watermark, known as SynthID, embedded in the image. This watermark is a tell-tale sign of AI generation. Further corroboration comes from Ukrainian media outlets, which have reported that Yermak has remained in Ukraine. For instance, "Ukrainska Pravda" noted on July 21 that Yermak was involved in discussions regarding the composition of the new Ukrainian government, specifically supporting the removal of the then-defense minister. The AI-generated image's spread highlights the increasing sophistication of synthetic media and the challenges in distinguishing real from fake content.

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The photo was created using the AI company OpenAI's tool. This is confirmed by the invisible OpenAI digital watermark embedded in the photo.