AI-generated deepfake video falsely depicts Lula as drunk at G7 summit
A deepfake video published on Instagram used generative AI to falsely depict Brazilian President Lula as intoxicated at the G7 summit in Canada in June 2025. Fact-checkers verified the video as 99.9% likely to be artificially generated, identifying typical AI distortions such as merged fingers and distorted facial features. Despite the post noting it was AI-generated, the false depiction spread widely on the platform.
What happened
A video published on Instagram used generative AI tools to manipulate footage of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the G7 summit in Canada in June 2025, depicting him as intoxicated.
The video included ironic music and visual distortions designed to suggest the president was staggering and behaving inappropriately in front of other world leaders. Verification platform Hive Moderation assessed the video as having a 99.9% probability of being artificially created.
Reported impact
The deepfake spread false information about the president's behavior during the G7 summit, with many users commenting on the post as if the false depiction were genuine, despite the caption indicating the content was AI-generated.
Index analysis
The video exhibited typical AI-generated distortions, including merged fingers when Lula embraced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and disappeared or distorted glasses belonging to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.