#FactCheck- AI-Generated Deepfake Falsely Attributes Film Remark to Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi
Executive Summary
A video circulating on social media, shared by a Pakistani account, claims to show Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi making a controversial statement. In the clip, he is allegedly heard saying that he requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to connect him with film director Ranjan Agnihotri so he could provide inputs and a script for a movie on “Operation Sindoor.”
However, research by CyberPeace has found that the viral video is an AI-generated deepfake. General Upendra Dwivedi has made no such statement.
Claim
A Pakistani user shared the viral video on X (formerly Twitter) on April 10, 2026, making the above claim.
Post links:
- https://x.com/DanishNawaz2773/status/2042312967811973225?s=20
- https://archive.ph/kAwoR
Fact Check
To verify the claim, we conducted keyword searches on Google but found no credible media reports supporting it. Further research led us to the original video posted on the X account of ANI. In this authentic clip, General Upendra Dwivedi is seen speaking at the ‘Ran Samwad’ seminar held in Bengaluru.
In the original video, he discusses the operational aspects of “Operation Sindoor,” including ground intelligence, cyber and electronic warfare inputs, Pakistan’s behaviour, and the challenges of a two-front scenario. There is no mention whatsoever of Pakistan mediation, Prime Minister Modi, Ranjan Agnihotri, any movie script, or a film based on Operation Sindoor.
This clearly indicates that the viral clip has been manipulated and taken out of context. The video was further analyzed using the AI detection tool DetectVideo AI, which indicated a 72% probability that the content is AI-generated. This strongly supports the conclusion that the video is a deepfake.
Conclusion
The viral claim is false. The video featuring General Upendra Dwivedi has been digitally altered using AI techniques to insert fabricated statements. The original footage is from the ‘Ran Samwad’ seminar in Bengaluru, where he spoke about military strategy and multi-domain operations, not about any film or director. There is no evidence to suggest that he made any statement regarding contacting a filmmaker or contributing to a movie script. The inclusion of such references in the viral clip is entirely fabricated. This case highlights how AI-generated deepfakes are increasingly being used to spread misinformation, especially in sensitive contexts involving the military and international relations. Viewers are advised to rely on verified sources and exercise caution before sharing such content.
Related Blogs
Executive Summary:
A video is rapidly circulating on social media following claims that Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The viral clip is being shared with the assertion that it shows the moment Israel launched a powerful attack on Iran to eliminate Larijani, allegedly shaking the ground due to the intensity of the strike However, research by CyberPeace has found the claim to be misleading. The viral video is AI-generated and has no connection to real-world events.
Claim:
Social media users have shared the video with alarming captions. One such post by Deepak Sharma reads:
“WAR UPDATE… Iran is in its final phase… Israel is striking selectively… This attack will leave you shocked… Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani has been killed in this attack… The intensity of the strike shook the Iranian الأرض.
Post links:
Similar videos were also shared by other users:
- urabh_raj3026/status/2038834832869032026
- https://x.com/ibmindia20/status/2038938020154597447
- https://x.com/Saurabh_raj3026/status/2038834832869032026
Fact Check
To verify the claim, we extracted keyframes from the viral video and conducted a reverse image search. During this process, we found the same video on Instagram, uploaded on March 9, 2026, by the account “_iranwar_2026” without any descriptive caption.
According to a BBC report, Ali Larijani died on March 17 in an Israeli strike. This establishes that the viral video predates the reported incident, making the claim factually inconsistent. Further examination of the Instagram account revealed that it frequently shares pro-Iran content, including gaming visuals and AI-generated clips, raising doubts about the authenticity of the video.
To strengthen the verification, we analyzed the viral clip using the AI detection tool “Zhuque AI Detection Assistant.” The results indicated a 91.71% probability that the video is AI-generated, confirming that it is not real footage.
Conclusion
The viral claim linking the video to an Israeli airstrike that allegedly killed Ali Larijani is misleading and factually incorrect. Multiple layers of verification show that the video existed online before the reported incident, ruling out any direct connection. Additionally, AI detection analysis strongly suggests that the video is artificially generated. The source account’s pattern of sharing AI and gaming-related content further weakens the credibility of the claim. There is no verified evidence to support that the viral clip depicts a real attack or any event related to Larijani’s death. Instead, the video appears to be a digitally created visual circulated without context to amplify misinformation.
Executive Summary:
A video circulating on social media claims to show a live elephant falling from a moving truck due to improper transportation, followed by the animal quickly standing up and reacting on a public road. The content may raise concerns related to animal cruelty, public safety, and improper transport practices. A detailed examination using AI content detection tools, visual anomaly analysis indicates that the video is not authentic and is likely AI generated or digitally manipulated.
Claim:
The viral video (archive link) shows a disturbing scene where a large elephant is allegedly being transported in an open blue truck with barriers for support. As the truck moves along the road, the elephant shifts its weight and the weak side barrier breaks. This causes the elephant to fall onto the road, where it lands heavily on its side. Shortly after, the animal is seen getting back on its feet and reacting in distress, facing the vehicle that is recording the incident. The footage may raise serious concerns about safety, as elephants are normally transported in reinforced containers, and such an incident on a public road could endanger both the animal and people nearby.
Fact Check:
After receiving the video, we closely examined the visuals and noticed some inconsistencies that raised doubts about its authenticity. In particular, the elephant is seen recovering and standing up unnaturally quickly after a severe fall, which does not align with realistic animal behavior or physical response to such impact.
To further verify our observations, the video was analyzed using the Hive Moderation AI Detection tool, which indicated that the content is likely AI generated or digitally manipulated.
Additionally, no credible news reports or official sources were found to corroborate the incident, reinforcing the conclusion that the video is misleading.
Conclusion:
The claim that the video shows a real elephant transport accident is false and misleading. Based on AI detection results, observable visual anomalies, and the absence of credible reporting, the video is highly likely to be AI generated or digitally manipulated. Viewers are advised to exercise caution and verify such sensational content through trusted and authoritative sources before sharing.
- Claim: The viral video shows an elephant allegedly being transported, where a barrier breaks as it moves, causing the animal to fall onto the road before quickly getting back on its feet.
- Claimed On: X (Formally Twitter)
- Fact Check: False and Misleading
Introduction
As digital platforms rapidly become repositories of information related to health, YouTube has emerged as a trusted source people look to for answers. To counter rampant health misinformation online, the platform launched YouTube Health, a program aiming to make “high-quality health information available to all” by collaborating with health experts and content creators. While this is an effort in the right direction, the program needs to be tailored to the specificities of the Indian context if it aims to transform healthcare communication in the long run.
The Indian Digital Health Context
India’s growing internet penetration and lack of accessible healthcare infrastructure, especially in rural areas, facilitates a reliance on digital platforms for health information. However, these, especially social media, are rife with misinformation. Supplemented by varying literacy levels, access disparities, and lack of digital awareness, health misinformation can lead to serious negative health outcomes. The report ‘Health Misinformation Vectors in India’ by DataLEADS suggests a growing reluctance surrounding conventional medicine, with people looking for affordable and accessible natural remedies instead. Social media helps facilitate this shift. However, media-sharing platforms such as WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook host a large chunk of health misinformation. The report identifies that cancer, reproductive health, vaccines, and lifestyle diseases are four key areas susceptible to misinformation in India.
YouTube’s Efforts in Promoting Credible Health Content
YouTube Health aims to provide evidence-based health information with “digestible, compelling, and emotionally supportive health videos,” from leading experts to everyone irrespective of who they are or where they live. So far, it executes this vision through:
- Content Curation: The platform has health source information panels and content shelves highlighting videos regarding 140+ medical conditions from authority sources like All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Max Healthcare etc., whenever users search for health-related topics.
- Localization Strategies: The platform offers multilingual health content in regional languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Bengali, apart from English. This is to help health information reach viewers across most of the country.
- Verification of professionals: Healthcare professionals and organisations can apply to YouTube’s health feature for their videos to be authenticated as an authority health source on the platform and for their videos to show up on the ‘Health Sources’ shelf.
Challenges
- Limited Reach: India has a diverse linguistic ecosystem. While health information is made available in over 8 languages, the number is not enough to reach everyone in the country. Efforts to reach more people in vernacular languages need to be ramped up. Further, while there were around 50 billion views of health content on YouTube in 2023, it is difficult to measure the on-ground outcomes of those views.
- Lack of Digital Literacy: Misinformation on digital platforms cannot be entirely curtailed owing to the way algorithms are designed to enhance user engagement. However, uploading authoritative health information as a solution may not be enough, if users lack awareness about misinformation and the need to critically evaluate and trust only credible sources. In India, this critical awareness remains largely underdeveloped.
Conclusion
Considering that India has over 450 million users, by far the highest number of users in any country in the world, the platform has recognized that it can play a transformative role in the country’s digital health ecosystem. To accomplish its mission “to combat the societal threat of medical misinformation,” YouTube will have to continue to take several proactive measures. There is scope for strengthening collaborations with Indian public health agencies and trusted public figures, national and regional, to provide credible health information to all. The approach will have to be tailored to India’s vast linguistic diversity, by encouraging capacity-building for vernacular creators to produce credible content. Finally, multiple stakeholders will need to come together to promote digital literacy through education campaigns about identifying trustworthy sources.
Sources
- https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/youtube-health-dr-garth-graham-interview-9746673/
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/cancer-misinformation-extremely-prevalent-in-india-trust-in-science-medicine-crucial-report/articleshow/115931783.cms?from=mdr
- https://health.youtube/our-mission/
- https://health.youtube/features-application/
- https://backlinko.com/youtube-users
