Viral video of Chinese paraglider likely includes faked AI footage

An investigation noted several inconsistencies in Yujiang's video, including his helmet changing from black to white, and his legs switching from a cocoon position to dangling.

A California-based digital security firm says it is “fairly confident” that viral footage of a paraglider who claims to have been sucked into a storm in China is not entirely authentic.

Peng Yujiang, 55, says he began an accidental flight while testing newly purchased paragliding equipment in the Qilian Mountains in northern China and that a camera mounted on his glider captured the entire ordeal, which supposedly saw him reach heights of 27,800 feet.

An investigation by Reuters suggests that the first five seconds of Yujiang’s film contain “fake footage,” likely generated by artificial intelligence, bringing the legitimacy of his story into question. Reuters has since removed the video from its platforms.

“This content is clearly labeled as third-party content and is not verified or endorsed by Reuters,” it said in a statement.

“When we became aware of a piece of content that likely contained AI-generated elements on the Reuters Connect platform, we investigated and took it down because the material does not comply with our partner content policy,” it continued.

Global News, the BBC, The Associated Press and the New York Times — along with other outlets — shared the likely doctored video last week. 

The investigation, undertaken by GetReal Security — a company that calls itself the world’s leading authority on the authentication and verification of digital media — noted several inconsistencies in Yujiang’s video, namely that his helmet is black at the start of the video and changes to white, and that his legs are in a protective cocoon at the start and dangling at the end.

Other inconsistencies given by Reuters include: