A purported photograph, claiming to show the catastrophic floods that submerged parts of Hyderabad during the Musi River Floods in September 1908, is going viral on social media (here, here, here, and here). In this article, let us fact-check the authenticity of this viral Photo.
Claim: Photo shows a submerged area around Charminar in Hyderabad during the Musi River floods of September 1908.
Fact: This viral photo is AI-generated. It contains a ‘Meta AI’ watermark, which indicates that it has been created or altered by artificial intelligence. Multiple AI detection tools have also confirmed that the photo is AI-generated. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Upon close examination of the viral photo, we noticed a “Meta AI” watermark in the bottom right corner. This suggests that the photo is synthetic and not a genuine photograph captured by a camera. Images generated using Meta’s AI tools include this watermark to indicate that they have been created or altered by artificial intelligence. Furthermore, several visual anomalies and inconsistencies are apparent in the photo. These include distorted and unclear signboards, blurry and indistinct faces of people, and a general lack of realistic detail and structure. Some elements also appear to resemble large electric transmission or distribution towers and mobile communication towers—features that are historically inaccurate for a photo claimed to be from 1908. These irregularities strongly suggest that the photo may have been generated using AI.
To further verify whether the viral photo was AI-generated, we analysed it using multiple AI content detection tools. When tested with Hive, the result flagged the viral photo with a 98.5% likelihood of being AI-generated. Cantilux results indicated a 90% probability of the photo being AI-generated. Other detection tools, such as WasitAI and AI or Not, also confirmed that the photo was AI-generated (here, here). Based on all these findings, it is clear that the viral photo is AI-generated.
According to reports (here, here), Hyderabad experienced devastating Musi River floods in September 1908, during which over 50,000 homes were swept away and approximately 15,000 people lost their lives.
To sum it up, this viral photo, which claims to show a submerged area around Charminar in Hyderabad during the Musi River floods of September 1908, is AI-generated.
