On October 15, Donald Trump posted a series of photographs on his Truth Social platform, intending to highlight renovation work at the White House. One specific image, presented as a "before and after" comparison of a White House column, has drawn scrutiny for appearing to be digitally manipulated with AI. Google's AI detector identified the "restored" column image as "made or edited with OpenAI."
Users on Reddit first noted several discrepancies in the "restored" column photo. The number of steps on either side of the structure is uneven and does not match the steps shown in the "before" photograph. Both the "before" and "after" images also maintain nearly identical angles and details, including the reflection visible in a window and a piece of protective cardboard at the base of the column. Additionally, the "newly painted" column exhibits an unusually smooth appearance.
The AI detection by Google's SynthID Detector, a tool designed to identify an invisible watermark in AI-generated content, indicated that the image was "created or edited" with AI. However, other photos shared by Trump in the same series, which depicted the White House facade and heliport, did not trigger the SynthID watermark.
This instance is not the first time AI-generated or manipulated imagery has appeared on Trump's social media. Past posts have included AI-generated caricatures of himself, and his administration has previously faced criticism for sharing AI-created memes and a modified photo of a protester. The White House has not yet issued a comment regarding the AI-edited photo of the column.