AI-Generated Fake Image Used to Spread 'False Flag' Claim About Bondi Shooting

A digitally fabricated image is being used to promote the false claim that the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, Australia, was a staged event. The image, which depicts a man with a bloodied face, has been shared widely on social media, racking up over 10 million views.

The manipulated picture purports to show Arsen Ostrovsky, an Israeli lawyer who sustained a graze wound during the attack, having fake blood applied by a makeup artist on a set resembling a film location near a beach. Ostrovsky himself addressed the claims, stating he wouldn't dignify the "sick campaign of lies and hate" with a response after seeing the images while being prepped for surgery.

BBC Verify investigated the image and found clear indications of AI generation. For example, in an interview with Australia's 9 News TV, Ostrovsky was wearing a t-shirt with a United States Marines logo. The AI-generated image distorts this design, a common error in AI-generated content. Furthermore, the fake image displays a large bloodstain at Ostrovsky's neckline, which isn't present in the 9 News interview. The 9 News coverage also showed Ostrovsky wearing shorts, while the AI image depicts him in jeans.

Other telltale signs of AI manipulation include deformed hands on the apparent crew members and a distorted car in the background. Many social media posts have cropped the image to remove the top section where these anomalies are most visible.

**Other investigations by BBC Verify:**

• Dashcam footage of bystanders attempting to prevent the Bondi attack.
• Ukraine's claim of an underwater drone attack on a Russian submarine.
• Donald Trump's claim about the number of US fentanyl deaths.

**Get in touch with BBC Verify:**

BBC Verify is interested in investigating claims you may have seen online, especially images that may have been made using artificial intelligence to spread disinformation. You can also contact them with questions about how they verify online videos or work with satellite imagery. Suggestions can be sent to the team via their website.