SBT airs AI-generated fake news image on broadcast
Brazilian broadcaster SBT aired a report on 13 April 2026 featuring an AI-generated fake image depicting a misogynistic sign at a gas station. The station later confirmed the image was false and acknowledged it violated its journalism standards.
What happened
On 13 April 2026, SBT broadcast a report on the 'Se Liga Brasil' program featuring an AI-generated image showing a woman at a gas station with a sign containing misogynistic text. Presenter Thiago Gardinali read from the sign for approximately five minutes, stating the image depicted a woman calling police after seeing the sign and that the case went to the police station.
The image was created by artificial intelligence and had been circulating on social media for weeks without verification. It contained inconsistencies including spelling errors. SBT later used fact-checking tools and confirmed the image was false.
Reported impact
The broadcast spread misinformation to viewers without prior verification. The station's failure to fact-check the content before airing violated SBT's own journalism standards.
Index analysis
The incident involved the broadcast of a synthetic image without verification, allowing false information about alleged misogyny and police involvement to reach a television audience.
Governance controls
SBT stated that 'internal measures' were taken following the incident. The emissora acknowledged that airing the material without prior investigation violated SBT's journalism standards.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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