DAfter an AI-generated photo calling for “all eyes on Rafah” went viral on Instagram, dozens more posts that appear to have been created using artificial intelligence have been shared on the social media platform.
The images circulating online are a mix of pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian posts, NBC News reported. Some of them mimic the original “all eyes on Rafah” photo, while others are more graphic, such as the one showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu covered in blood.
One post featured a photo of a large crowd with the words “bring them home now” referring to the Israeli hostages in Gaza.
The wave of AI-generated images comes after the “all eyes on Rafah” post was shared more than 47 million times by Instagram users, including celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Nicola Coughlin. The photo began circulating on social media platforms following public outrage over the death of at least 45 Palestinians in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah. Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip near the border with Egypt, was designated a humanitarian zone for civilians.
Some criticized the use of AI for the “all eyes on Rafah” image, saying it whitewashed the devastation in Gaza. Others said that, due to social media algorithmic guidelines that limit graphic content, it can be difficult for activists to share war-related images, so AI-generated images were a way around that. .
After the “all eyes on Rafah” photo went viral, many pro-Israel photos were shared on social media, according to NBC News. As is common with AI-generated content, these posts often have repetitive or blurry visuals. Some of the people who posted the photos admitted to using AI to create them.
Some Israeli media reported Wednesday that a pro-Israel Instagram post made in response to the “all eyes on Rafah” photo had been removed from Instagram. In the AI-generated image, a Hamas gunman stands over a child in a pool of blood and burns an Israeli flag, which reads, “Where were your eyes on October 7?” The Times of Israel reported that the post has since been reinstated on the social media platform, and Meta said the image did not violate its guidelines and was removed by accident.
Meta has previously said it aims to flag AI-generated content on its platforms, but none of the posts analyzed by NBC News were flagged as AI-generated. .