Mike Tyson Palestinian flag image exposed as AI 'deepfake'

An image of Mike Tyson posing in a ring draped in a Palestinian flag that has been circulated widely in the run up to the veteran boxer’s defeat at the hands of Jake Paul in the early hours of Saturday morning has turned out to be a "deepfake".

Though many thought the image was suspect and raised their suspicions on social media feeds, the fact-checking news website Newschecker analysed the image and ran it through an AI detection tool and found "substantial evidence of manipulation".

"The image depicts a well-known individual draped in a flag that resembles the Palestinian flag. However, his association with this flag is not documented or widely known in public records," Newschecker wrote.

"The flag seems to have been digitally altered or added to the image, as it is not typical for this individual to be associated with this particular flag in such settings," they added.

"The lighting, edges, and drape of the flag suggest it might be an edit," read the tool’s review according to the fact-checkers.

A scan by another similar tool, AI Detect Content, too, stated that the viral image is "likely AI generated/deepfaked", it concluded.

In his over four-decade career as a professional boxer, the 58-year-old former undisputed heavyweight champion has never aligned himself with the Palestinian cause publicly.

On the contrary, in November of last year Tyson was forced to deny suggestions that he had donated to the Israeli military, after photos emerged of him at a fundraiser for the country's forces as they carried out a brutal war on Gaza.  

Tyson, who in 1986 became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history, even denied that he was aware that he was at a fundraiser for the Israeli military held in Miami.

"I want to clarify the recent portrayal of an event I attended," Tyson wrote at the time. "Invited for a casual evening out by a friend, I was unaware of the arranged fundraiser and no donations were made by me or on my behalf,” he clarified.

"As a Muslim and human, I support peace. My prayers have been and continue to be with my brothers and sisters,” he concluded.

Since the onset of Israel’s war on Gaza, there has been an abundance of fake images, videos and general disinformation spread from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian sides.