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A fact-checking organization, Krypometër, identified that images circulating on Facebook, which purportedly showed the mayor of Skenderaj, Fadil Nura, traveling with Milan Radoičić (a suspect in the 2023 Banjska attack), were AI-generated. The fabricated images were disseminated during a period of heightened political tension following a physical altercation involving local political figures. The report confirms the use of HiveModeration to verify the synthetic nature of the images.
The Facebook page ZËRI Shqiptar reportedly published AI-generated images purporting to show Sami Lushtaku, the mayor of Skenderaj, Kosovo, traveling in a luxury car with Milan Radoičić, a former Serb List official accused in connection with the 2023 Banjska attack on Kosovo police. The reportedly AI-generated images appeared amid a political dispute after Vetëvendosje officials accused Lushtaku of assaulting Hysni Mehani, the party's local leader in Skenderaj.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
Using AI systems to gain a personal advantage over others such as through cheating, fraud, scams, blackmail or targeted manipulation of beliefs or behavior. Examples include AI-facilitated plagiarism for research or education, impersonating a trusted or fake individual for illegitimate financial benefit, or creating humiliating or sexual imagery.
Also classified as
The AI system was used to generate false photographic evidence to mislead the public about a politician's associations.
The incident involved the creation of a deepfake using a public figure's likeness to target and politically manipulate public perception during a local dispute.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed
The incident was caused by human actors who intentionally generated and distributed a political deepfake post-deployment to mislead the public.
Added categories peak at 2: Minor (Epistemic Harm, Direct)
An AI-generated deepfake was used in Kosovo to falsely depict a local mayor traveling with a suspected terrorist during a period of political tension. The incident represents a minor national security concern, characterized as a localized information operation that was quickly debunked by fact-checkers, with negligible impact on broader state sovereignty or physical security.
The AI generator was used as a simple tool to produce a synthetic image based on direct inputs, and HiveModeration was used as a tool to detect it.
Limited Risk: The report describes AI-generated content such as deepfakes, which fall under Risk Level 3 due to transparency and disclosure requirements.
The incident centers on the generation of a deepfake image of a politician, which was subsequently analyzed using HiveModeration's image verification capabilities.
The fact-checking report clearly details the nature of the fake image, the political context, and the verification method using HiveModeration.
None
Technology
Generative AI Accessibility
Easy access to AI tools allowed actors to create highly realistic fake images.
Lack of Platform AI Detection
Facebook lacked automated tools to instantly flag AI-generated content.
Data Inputs
Availability of Source Photos
Publicly available photos of politicians were used to train the generator.
Human Factors
Intentional Political Deception
Malicious actors created the deepfake to exploit existing local tensions.
Uncritical Sharing by Public
Social media users shared the image without verifying its authenticity.
Process and Methods
Reactive Fact-Checking Model
Fact-checking occurred only after the deepfake had already gone viral.
Management
Insufficient Moderation Budget
Platforms allocated inadequate resources for monitoring regional content.
Regulatory Environment
Weak Synthetic Media Laws
Lack of legal frameworks to deter and punish political deepfake creation.
AI system involved
Identified by automated extraction; can differ from the alleged developers above.
