AI-edited photo of White House column posted by Trump flagged by Google’s detector

A 'before and after' photo of a White House column renovation posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social was flagged as AI-edited by Google’s SynthID detector. The image, which Trump shared to highlight restoration work, showed discrepancies such as an uneven number of steps on either side of the column and mismatched reflections in the windows. The 'after' photo also appeared unnaturally smooth compared to the 'before' image.

Users on Reddit pointed out inconsistencies between the two photos, including the number of steps and the positioning of protective cardboard at the bottom of the column. The 'before and after' images also shared nearly identical angles and details, further raising questions about the authenticity of the 'after' photo.

Google’s SynthID detector, which scans images for an invisible watermark indicating AI generation or editing, flagged the photo as 'made or edited with OpenAI.' The watermark was not detected on other photos Trump posted alongside the column image, which depicted the White House facade and heliport.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the AI-edited photo. Real photos showing people painting the front of the White House in June suggest that the column may have received a fresh coat of paint, but this does not account for the discrepancies in the 'after' image.