On August 26, 2026, a massive flood occurred along the Nepal-China border. Following the disaster, many social media users shared images and videos purportedly related to the flooding. However, some of this content was unrelated to the disaster, shared in a misleading context, or generated using artificial intelligence.
One such example is a video
shared on X on August 29, 2026, by a user named freddyzur. The 10-second video
allegedly shows an elephant rescuing two children during the floods in Nepal.
The video has been viewed more than 211,000 times, reposted over 3,100 times,
and liked more than 12,000 times.
However, a subsequent
investigation revealed that the video was not authentic and had been generated
using artificial intelligence. To assess the authenticity of the footage, the
video was examined using HIVE Moderation, which indicated that the content was
AI-generated.
Frames from the video were also
analyzed using Google’s reverse image search to determine whether the footage
had previously appeared online. The investigation revealed that the video had
been shared not only by freddyzur but also by numerous other users on X.
Furthermore, the footage had spread beyond X and appeared on various other
social media platforms. The investigation also identified numerous similar
videos, particularly on X, purportedly showing elephants rescuing people during
the floods in Nepal.
Another example is a 15-secondvideo posted on X on August 28, 2026, by a user named izzetcapa. The video
allegedly shows an elephant rescuing a person from floodwaters in Nepal. It has
been viewed more than 408,400 times and liked over 18,000 times.
However, a subsequent
investigation revealed that this video was also not authentic and had been
generated using artificial intelligence. To assess its authenticity, the
footage was analyzed using HIVE Moderation, which indicated that the video was
AI-generated.
Taken together, these examples
demonstrate a broader pattern of AI-generated videos depicting elephants
allegedly rescuing people during the Nepal floods. Although presented as
footage of real rescue operations, analysis indicates that these videos were artificially
generated and circulated in connection with an actual natural disaster.
In conclusion, the investigation
indicates that the viral videos do not authentically depict elephants rescuing
people during the August 2026 floods in Nepal. Analysis conducted using HIVE
Moderation identified the footage as AI-generated. The presence of multiple
similar videos circulating across X and other social media platforms also
demonstrates how AI-generated content can rapidly spread during a major natural
disaster and be presented as genuine footage of real events.
These examples highlight a
growing form of disaster-related disinformation in which generative AI is used
to create emotionally compelling but fabricated scenes and associate them with
an ongoing crisis. Such content can attract significant engagement because of
its dramatic and emotional nature, while potentially misleading viewers about
what actually occurred. The widespread circulation of these videos underscores
the importance of verifying the authenticity, source, and context of viral
footage before sharing it, particularly during natural disasters and other
breaking news events.
