Fact Check: AI-Generated Video Falsely Shows a Warplane Bombing a Dam During the 2026 Nepal Floods

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 27, 2026, by a user named UrbnIre. The 27-second video allegedly shows a warplane bombing a dam in Nepal, causing the structure to collapse. The video has been viewed more than 12,600 times, reposted 18 times, and liked 25 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 Gemini and HIVE Moderation.

The video was initially analyzed using Gemini, which determined that the content had been generated using artificial intelligence. Gemini identified several potential indicators of AI generation, including unrealistic water dynamics, unnatural jet movement, and visual rendering artifacts.

The video was subsequently analyzed using HIVE Moderation, which also indicated that the footage was AI-generated.

 

Frames from the video were also examined 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 UrbnIre but also by numerous other users on X. Furthermore, the footage had circulated beyond X and appeared on several other social media platforms. For example, the video was uploaded to YouTube by a user named RizwanJokhio-k1d4o and was also shared by users on Facebook.

In conclusion, the investigation indicates that the viral video does not authentically depict a warplane bombing a dam in Nepal during the August 2026 floods. Analyses conducted using Gemini and HIVE Moderation identified multiple indicators suggesting that the footage was generated using artificial intelligence, including unrealistic water dynamics, unnatural aircraft movement, and visual rendering artifacts. The video was also found circulating across multiple social media platforms, demonstrating how quickly AI-generated content can spread during a major disaster.

This case illustrates how a real natural disaster can be exploited as the backdrop for entirely fabricated visual content. By presenting AI-generated footage as evidence of an event that did not occur, such content can mislead viewers, create confusion, and distort public understanding of an unfolding crisis. It therefore highlights the importance of verifying both the authenticity and context of viral footage before sharing it, particularly during breaking news events and natural disasters.

 

 

If you suspect that a video, image, or audio file has been created using artificial intelligence or deepfake technology and would like free assistance in verifying its authenticity, you may send the link to the content or the file itself to allaboutdeepfake@gmail.com

 

Fact Check: Viral Elephant Rescue Video Does Not Show the 2026 Nepal Floods

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 and was shared in a misleading context.

One such example is a video shared on X on August 26, 2026, by a user named CodexZeroTR. The 20-second video shows an elephant rescuing a person who appears to be swept away by floodwaters. The video has been viewed more than 6.3 million times, reposted 8,300 times, and liked more than 59,000 times.

However, although the footage is authentic, it is unrelated to the floods that occurred in Nepal on August 26. To determine the video’s actual origin and whether it had previously circulated online, it was analyzed using Grok and Gemini.

The video was first examined using Grok, which indicated that the footage was old. Grok also noted that elephants do not inhabit the high-altitude mountainous region where the flooding occurred and that Nepalese Army helicopters were used in rescue operations following the disaster.

 

However, Grok did not identify the country where the video was originally recorded. Therefore, to obtain more detailed information about its origin, the footage was further analyzed using Gemini. According to Gemini, the video dates back to 2016 and was filmed at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

To further verify that the video was recorded in Thailand, the audio track was extracted from the footage using InVID-WeVerify and examined separately. Analysis of the extracted audio indicated that the language heard in the video was Thai. This linguistic evidence further supports the conclusion that the footage was recorded in Thailand rather than Nepal.

In conclusion, the video depicts a real event, but it is unrelated to the August 2026 floods along the Nepal-China border. The footage originated in Thailand and dates back to 2016, yet it was recirculated in 2026 in connection with a recent natural disaster in Nepal. This case demonstrates how authentic footage can be taken out of its original context and used to spread misleading information. It also highlights the importance of verifying not only whether visual content is authentic but also when and where it was originally recorded.

 

 

If you suspect that a video, image, or audio file has been created using artificial intelligence or deepfake technology and would like free assistance in verifying its authenticity, you may send the link to the content or the file itself to allaboutdeepfake@gmail.com.