Fact check: Photograph of masked people with axes was AI-generated
Police said there had been ‘no disorder’ at any Birmingham hospital.
Claims have spread online about alleged events at a Birmingham hospital on Sunday February 16.
One claim included a photograph which appeared to show armed people alongside the caption: “Images reportedly show masked men with axes in a hospital in central Birmingham yesterday.”
Another shared the same image with the caption: “Following the stabbing of a 16-year-old boy a gang of axe wielding thugs ravaged an A&E Department at the local hospital.”
There were also further claims that a gang had gone to “ambush the accident and emergency department” or that the hospital had been “stormed”.
Evaluation
The image of people with axes appears to have been generated using Google’s AI tools.
West Midlands Police said there had been “no disorder” at any Birmingham hospital, while University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said its “services have not been impacted”.
The force added: “Images being shared on social media which claim to show people carrying weapons at a hospital are fake.”
The facts
According to one press report, around 200 people gathered in Pretoria Road in Bordesley Green on Sunday after a 16-year-old boy was stabbed. The road is near Birmingham Heartlands Hospital.
West Midlands Police said the “boy’s family, along with community members close to him, gathered at the hospital and were understandably upset and concerned with his welfare”.
The statement from police added: “Following inquiries, we know that no disorder took place at any hospital in Birmingham following the stabbing of a 16-year-old boy.”
It further said: “Any claims of ambulances being raided or looted are untrue, while images being shared on social media which claim to show people carrying weapons at a hospital are fake.”
University Hospitals Birmingham said: “We have been working closely with colleagues from West Midlands Police, since Saturday, regarding allegations of disorder at our hospital.
“We would like to reassure people that our services have not been impacted and are fully open.
“The images and accompanying information being shared on social media – depicting violence, weapons and allegations of an ambulance being raided – are false.”
Using a reverse image search, the PA news agency was able to find a version of the image of people with axes which shows a little more context. Running that version through Google Lens showed that Google’s own software identified this photograph as being “made with Google AI”.
There are also several parts of the photograph that look odd. A higher-resolution version shows people gripping axes in a strange fashion, including one with their wrist at an unnatural angle and another who appears to have six fingers. Meanwhile, the green exit sign in the background looks distorted.
