Experts suspect AI retouching of Trump's photo with Xi Jinping

According to experts, a photo published by US President Donald Trump from the state visit of his Chinese colleague Xi Jinping was most likely retouched using artificial intelligence to change an unflattering facial expression. Data forensics expert Matthew Stamm of Drexel University told AFP that the photo published by Trump, in which the president salutes next to Xi as a jet passes over, "with a high degree of certainty" shows traces "left by generative AI."

However, in the picture of the same scene published by Trump on his online service Truth Social on Thursday, the US President does not make a face either. He also wears a plain blue tie and has only one glove on, while in the photos released by the media he is wearing a striped tie and gloves on both hands. In addition, the shoes of a woman in the background do not match the authentic images.

Data forensics expert Stamm, who analyzed the photo published by Trump using special software, told AFP that the statistical traces he discovered were like “fingerprints left by a criminal at a crime scene.”

Walter Scheirer from the University of Notre Dame also told AFP that AI was probably involved. Given the various versions of that scene, which are "clearly different than what Trump posted on Truth Social, I'm sure that image has been altered," he said.

The White House initially did not comment on the image when asked.