A "before and after" image depicting a freshly painted White House column has been revealed to be digitally manipulated using artificial intelligence.
President Donald Trump shared a collection of images on Truth Social to showcase the White House renovations, yet one particular photo comparing an old column to a "restored" version shows clear signs of alteration. Users on Reddit noted that the "restored" column features an inconsistent number of steps on either side, a count that does not align with the "before" image. Furthermore, the two photos appear nearly identical in framing and detail; the window reflections match perfectly, and the protective cardboard at the column's base remains in the same location. Additionally, the "newly painted" surface appears unnaturally smooth.
The Verge has verified that the image uploaded to Truth Social is flagged as AI-generated by Google's SynthID Detector. This tool scans media for an invisible watermark that signals content was "created or edited" using AI technology.
Actual photographs from June confirm that workers were painting the White House exterior, suggesting the column may indeed have received a fresh coat of paint, though the White House has not yet commented on the matter. Crucially, the SynthID watermark was not detected on other photos Trump shared, which focused on the facade and heliport. Trump has a history of utilizing AI tools, frequently posting AI-generated caricatures of himself, while the White House has previously posted controversial AI memes and at least one deceptive photo edit.
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