An AI-generated image of a scaffolded building was repeatedly shared in social media posts that falsely claimed it showed India’s iconic Taj Mahal during its construction in 1632. The Instagram user who first posted the photo said it was made with the generative AI tool Midjourney.
“One of the seven wonders of the world is the Taj Mahal. This is a photo of the Taj Mahal during its construction in 1632,” said a Bengali-language newspaper. Facebook post from June 11, 2024.
The accompanying black and white image appears to show a structure similar to the iconic Indian landmark surrounded by scaffolding.
O Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum commissioned by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to house his wife’s grave Mumtaz Mahallocated on the banks of the Yamuna River, in the city of Agra, in northern India (archived link).
Construction began around 1631 and the Taj Complex’s main mausoleum was completed in 1648.
The image was shared in similar posts on Facebook here It is here.
AI-generated image
The image has a watermark at the bottom that reads “Jyojohnmulloor”.
A keyword search for this found a Instagram post from April 4, 2023, which showed the image alongside several similar images of a domed structure under construction (archived link).
The Instagram post read: “A glimpse into the past! Shah Jahan’s incredible legacy, the Taj Mahal, captured during its construction. Grateful to have these rare photos and his permission letter to share with you all.”
It also carried the disclaimer that the images were created with Midjourney, a tool that generates images using language instructions.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the image shared in the fake posts (left) and posted on Instagram (right):
The Instagram user bio says that all of the page’s “works of art” were created with AI.
AI Detection Tool Hive Moderation also found that the image likely contained AI-generated content.
Furthermore, construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1631, almost two centuries before the first camera was invented in 1816 (archived link).
The AFP has debunked other cases of AI-generated images being considered genuine here.
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