Chinese Paraglider's Accidental 8,000m Feat Video AI-Generated? Check Details
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The video clip contained no logo, but a portion of it uploaded to Facebook on May 25 had a Doubao AI watermark, indicating it was likely generated using Doubao AI's tool.
A viral video claiming to show a Chinese paraglider's accidental ascent to over 8,000 meters has been found to be generated by artificial intelligence, at least partially, according to a report in NBC News. The paraglider, Peng Yujiang, 55, had reportedly claimed to have been lifted from 3,000 meters, but the unexpected conditions carried him nearly 5,000 metres higher.
Peng Yujiang allegedly withstood temperatures of around -40°C and critically low oxygen levels, overcoming hypoxia and severe frostbite while remaining conscious, and safely landed back on the ground.
However, the investigation reveals that the first five seconds of the video might be AI-generated. In the clip, Peng can be seen gliding at high altitude with his legs dangling, but the footage is seemingly cropped.
The video clip contained no logo, but a portion of it uploaded to Facebook on May 25 had a Doubao AI watermark, indicating it was likely generated using ByteDance-owned Doubao AI's tool.
advetisement
'It's unclear if the remaining footage of Peng gliding through the sky, which differs from the first five seconds, is authentic or not," the publication stated.
AI-verification firm GetReal Labs analysed the footage and found evidence supporting the claim that AI was used to create it.
'We were able to extract a few frames and analyse them using our Inspect platform, and our models confirm that the images are synthetic," said GetReal Labs, adding that several other elements in the video differed from the rest of the footage.
Meanwhile, news agency Reuters, which distributed the clip without the AI logo, has taken down the video. Other news outlets have also removed their versions of the video.
'We have reason to believe this is an AI-generated video and are currently working on killing this footage," Reuters said.
Peng was testing used paragliding gear when the incident supposedly occurred. The video clip quickly went viral, with users praising Peng for remaining calm under extreme conditions.
'I had just bought a second-hand paragliding harness and wanted to test it, so I was conducting ground parachute shaking. After a while, the wind suddenly picked up and lifted me into the air. I tried to land as soon as possible, but I failed," Peng told the Chinese media.
Peng and his friend, who posted the video, were banned from paragliding for six months for violating safety rules and flying without authorisation.
Location :
China
First Published:
June 01, 2025, 10:01 IST
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