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Gizmodo
a day ago
- General
- Gizmodo
Viral Paragliding Video May Be Partly AI-Generated, Experts Say
Last week, numerous media outlets, including Gizmodo, reported on a shocking paragliding accident in China that saw a strong updraft shoot 55-year-old Peng Yujian 18,000 feet (5,500 meters) into freezing air. However, a digital security firm is now 'fairly confident' that parts of the video allegedly capturing the event are AI-generated, according to Reuters, who originally distributed the video. 'The video, originally posted after the paraglider's May 24 flight by his support team on Douyin, China's TikTok, employed artificial intelligence to fake some of the footage, according to a review by a digital security firm consulted by Reuters,' reads the Reuters update. 'Digital security firm GetReal said it was 'fairly confident' the first five seconds of Peng's video contained AI-generated images,' the article continues, noting that the video also includes inconsistencies such as strange changes to the paraglider's helmet and equipment. Many news sites, including NBC and the BBC, have taken the video down, and the video we linked to in our own coverage on May 29 is no longer available. An article by Sixth Tone (an English language news outlet reporting on China) still has the alleged footage from Peng's camera, including the inconsistencies noted by Reuters. As we previously reported, Peng was testing paragliding equipment at around 10,000 ft (3,000 m) above sea level when a dangerous meteorological phenomenon known as 'cloud suck' allegedly pulled him up to around 28,000 ft (8,500 m). For comparison, the peak of Mount Everest is 29,029 ft (8,848 m) above sea level. He was in the air for over an hour, exposed to almost -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit), before landing 20 miles (33 kilometers) away from his starting point. A camera mounted onto his equipment supposedly filmed the accident. The video—highlighting Peng's snow-crusted face looking around confusedly—went viral on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, before Chinese state media picked it up. The state-run broadcaster CCTV distributed it internationally via a Reuters-owned platform, according to the Canadian news agency. Abhinav Dhall, an associate professor in Monash University's Department of Data Science and AI, told ABC Australia that it's difficult to determine whether the video is real or AI-generated, 'if we closely observe the starting say 3 or 4 seconds of this video we can see that the clouds in the background do not really look real. They look like as if, you know, it's a 2D picture.' Peng's story, however, is technically possible. In 2007, German paraglider Ewa Wisnierska reportedly survived a similar accident when a storm front sucked her nearly 33,000 ft (10,000 m) into the air, according to ABC Australia. Reuters, however, reports that French pilot Antoine Girard holds the 'current record for a planned flight' for flying 27,582 ft (8,407 m) over the Himalayas in 2021. It remains to be seen how the news industry will adapt in the face of increasingly realistic AI-generated visual content.
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
China paraglider's thundercloud survival claim featured likely AI-faked video
Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang says he "definitely won't fly for a while" after surviving high altitude accident. (CCTV via Reuters via CNN Newsource) A Chinese paraglider's account of having been unwittingly swept into a thundercloud and dragged 8 kilometres (5 miles) into the sky has come under question after his video of the incident, carried by Chinese state media, turned out to have been likely faked in part. The video, originally posted after the paraglider's May 24 flight by his support team on Douyin, China's TikTok, employed artificial intelligence to fake some of the footage, according to a review by a digital security firm consulted by Reuters. The video's opening showed Peng Yujiang, 55, among the clouds, his face encrusted with ice. The video, which caused a sensation in paragliding circles, was aired in China and distributed internationally by state-run broadcaster CCTV. Other news providers also distributed the video, which was picked up globally. California-based digital security firm GetReal said it was 'fairly confident' the first five seconds of Peng Yujiang's video contained AI-generated images. There are also inconsistencies noted by GetReal and paragliders who pored over the video: Peng's legs are initially dangling without the insulating cocoon shown later. His helmet is first white, then black. Still, five expert paragliders interviewed by Reuters said it was possible Peng had flown to 8,589 metres (28,179 feet) as he claimed and survived. But four of them also challenged his claim that the flight had been an unavoidable accident, which Reuters is reporting for the first time. The current record for a planned flight is held by French pilot Antoine Girard who flew 8,407 metres over a stretch of the Himalayas in 2021. Peng recorded and then deleted his flight log on XContest, a website popular among paragliders, according to Jakub Havel, a Czech paraglider who helps run the forum. Havel said other flights by Peng remained on the site. 'Nobody intentionally lets themselves be sucked into a thunderstorm cloud in an attempt to break a record - it's something that any sane paragliding pilot tries to avoid at all costs,' said Havel, who said Peng's flight should not be considered a record. Peng could not be reached for comment. CCTV, which distributed the video on a platform owned by Reuters, could not be reached for comment. Like other Chinese media, CCTV faces a pending regulation from Beijing that requires all AI-generated content to be labeled as such from September. Contacted on the weekend, China's State Council, which oversees and coordinates government policy, had no immediate comment. In a statement, Reuters said it had removed the CCTV package on Peng's flight from Reuters Connect, an online marketplace that carries material from more than 100 news organizations. 'This content is clearly labeled as third-party content and is not verified or endorsed by Reuters,' the statement said. 'When we became aware of a piece of content that likely contained AI-generated elements on the Reuters Connect platform, we investigated and took it down because the material does not comply with our partner content policy.' Storm clouds In a report published on Wednesday, the Gansu Aeronautical Sports Association said Peng had broken an altitude record after being swept off the ground by a strong wind while testing second-hand gear he had just bought. 'According to Peng, he didn't plan on taking off,' the report said. The association, a private group that oversees air sports in the province, did not respond to a request for comment. It deleted its report on Peng's flight from its WeChat account and by Thursday the association's website was blocked. The association suspended Peng from flying for six months. A member of his flight team was suspended for six months for releasing the video without authorization. Expert pilots interviewed by Reuters said there were reasons to doubt Peng's flight was a fluke accident, saying he was either trying to make an unauthorized high ascent or should have seen the risk. Storm clouds like the one Peng flew in 'don't just appear above your head and hoover you into space. They build over a period of time,' said Daniel Wainwright, a flight instructor in Australia. 'He shouldn't have been flying.' The specialized heavy mittens shown in the video seem to undercut Peng's claim he had not intended to take off, said Brad Harris, president of the Tasmanian Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. He said he believed Peng may have made up the accidental take-off to avoid sanction for entering restricted air space. 'These are not things you would normally wear or have ready if you were just ground-handling to test a wing,' Harris said. Godfrey Wenness, a former paragliding distance world record holder, said a veteran paraglider could have managed to reverse the extreme but manageable ascent shown in Peng's flight data. 'He was either inexperienced or he was trying to (keep climbing),' Wenness said. Wenness said, however, he believed Peng hit the altitude he claimed based on flight data posted on XContest and then deleted. That data has to be transferred from a GPS in a 'tamper-proof' format, he said. 'We conclude and are confident that the actual flight did occur,' he said. (Additional reporting by Beijing newsroomEditing by Kevin Krolicki and Frances Kerry)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Chinese paraglider's death-defying thundercloud video may partly be fake
A viral video of a Chinese paraglider claiming he was swept up into a thundercloud and dragged 8km into the sky could partly be fake. Peng Yujiang, 55, a certified B-level paraglider, claimed in the video that he had a narrow escape after reaching an altitude of 8,598m without oxygen. The video was aired across China and distributed internationally by state broadcaster CCTV, and it quickly went viral. The video supposedly showed a sudden surge of wind pulling up and trapping Mr Peng into a rapidly forming cumulonimbus cloud, leaving him to face icy conditions with his face exposed and without oxygen. The paraglider said that he suspected he briefly lost consciousness during his eventual descent. But experts who examined the video, first shared on Douyin, China's TikTok, on 24 May, said it likely employed artificial intelligence to fake some of the footage, Reuters reported. The first five seconds of Mr Peng's video contained images generated by AI, American digital security firm GetReal said, adding that it was 'fairly confident' about its findings. GetReal as well as other paragliders noted that the video showed Mr Peng's legs initially dangling without the insulating cocoon shown later. In another concrete inconsistency, the paraglider's helmet appeared white and then black. 'Nobody intentionally lets themselves be sucked into a thunderstorm cloud in an attempt to break a record, it is something that any sane paragliding pilot tries to avoid at all costs," said Jakub Havel, a Czech paraglider who runs XContest, a popular website for paragliders. Mr Peng's flight should not be considered a record, he said, pointing out that the Chinese paraglider had recorded and then deleted his flight log on XContest while his other flights remained on the site. At least four paragliders interviewed by Reuters challenged Mr Peng's claim that the flight had been an unavoidable accident. The experts, however, said it was possible that the paraglider actually went up to an altitude of 8,589m and survived. Pilots said there were reasons to question Mr Peng's flight as a fluke accident, saying he was either trying to make an unauthorised high ascent or should have seen the risk. Storm clouds like the one Mr Peng flew in 'don't just appear above your head and hoover you into space' and 'build over a period of time", Daniel Wainwright, a flight instructor in Australia, told Reuters. 'He shouldn't have been flying.' The record for a planned flight is held by French pilot Antoine Girard, who flew at an altitude of 8,407m over a stretch of the Himalayas in 2021. Brad Harris, president of the Tasmanian Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, said the specialised heavy mittens shown in the video seemed to undercut Peng's claim he had not intended to take off. He believed Mr Peng could have made up the accidental take-off to avoid sanction for entering restricted airspace.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Chinese paraglider's death-defying thundercloud video may partly be fake
A viral video of a Chinese paraglider claiming he was swept up into a thundercloud and dragged 8km into the sky could partly be fake. Peng Yujiang, 55, a certified B-level paraglider, claimed in the video that he had a narrow escape after reaching an altitude of 8,598m without oxygen. The video was aired across China and distributed internationally by state broadcaster CCTV, and it quickly went viral. The video supposedly showed a sudden surge of wind pulling up and trapping Mr Peng into a rapidly forming cumulonimbus cloud, leaving him to face icy conditions with his face exposed and without oxygen. The paraglider said that he suspected he briefly lost consciousness during his eventual descent. But experts who examined the video, first shared on Douyin, China's TikTok, on 24 May, said it likely employed artificial intelligence to fake some of the footage, Reuters reported. The first five seconds of Mr Peng's video contained images generated by AI, American digital security firm GetReal said, adding that it was 'fairly confident' about its findings. GetReal as well as other paragliders noted that the video showed Mr Peng's legs initially dangling without the insulating cocoon shown later. In another concrete inconsistency, the paraglider's helmet appeared white and then black. 'Nobody intentionally lets themselves be sucked into a thunderstorm cloud in an attempt to break a record, it is something that any sane paragliding pilot tries to avoid at all costs," said Jakub Havel, a Czech paraglider who runs XContest, a popular website for paragliders. Mr Peng's flight should not be considered a record, he said, pointing out that the Chinese paraglider had recorded and then deleted his flight log on XContest while his other flights remained on the site. At least four paragliders interviewed by Reuters challenged Mr Peng's claim that the flight had been an unavoidable accident. The experts, however, said it was possible that the paraglider actually went up to an altitude of 8,589m and survived. Pilots said there were reasons to question Mr Peng's flight as a fluke accident, saying he was either trying to make an unauthorised high ascent or should have seen the risk. Storm clouds like the one Mr Peng flew in 'don't just appear above your head and hoover you into space' and 'build over a period of time", Daniel Wainwright, a flight instructor in Australia, told Reuters. 'He shouldn't have been flying.' The record for a planned flight is held by French pilot Antoine Girard, who flew at an altitude of 8,407m over a stretch of the Himalayas in 2021. Brad Harris, president of the Tasmanian Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, said the specialised heavy mittens shown in the video seemed to undercut Peng's claim he had not intended to take off. He believed Mr Peng could have made up the accidental take-off to avoid sanction for entering restricted airspace.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Chinese paraglider's thundercloud survival claim likely featured AI-faked video
The current record for a planned paragliding flight is 8,407m. (EPA Images pic) BEIJING : A Chinese paraglider's account of having been unwittingly swept into a thundercloud and dragged 8km into the sky has come under question after his video of the incident, carried by Chinese state media, turned out to have been likely faked in part. The video, originally posted after the paraglider's May 24 flight by his support team on Douyin, China's TikTok, employed artificial intelligence to fake some of the footage, according to a review by a digital security firm consulted by Reuters. The video's opening showed Peng Yujiang, 55, among the clouds, his face encrusted with ice. The video, which caused a sensation in paragliding circles, was aired in China and distributed internationally by state-run broadcaster CCTV. Other news providers also distributed the video, which was picked up globally. California-based digital security firm GetReal said it was 'fairly confident' the first five seconds of Peng Yujiang's video contained AI-generated images. There are also inconsistencies noted by GetReal and paragliders who pored over the video: Peng's legs are initially dangling without the insulating cocoon shown later. His helmet is first white, then black. Still, five expert paragliders interviewed by Reuters said it was possible Peng had flown to 8,589m as he claimed and survived. But four of them also challenged his claim that the flight had been an unavoidable accident, which Reuters is reporting for the first time. The current record for a planned flight is held by French pilot Antoine Girard who flew 8,407m over a stretch of the Himalayas in 2021. Peng recorded and then deleted his flight log on XContest, a website popular among paragliders, according to Jakub Havel, a Czech paraglider who helps run the forum. Havel said other flights by Peng remained on the site. 'Nobody intentionally lets themselves be sucked into a thunderstorm cloud in an attempt to break a record – it's something that any sane paragliding pilot tries to avoid at all costs,' said Havel, who said Peng's flight should not be considered a record. Peng could not be reached for comment. CCTV, which distributed the video on a platform owned by Reuters, could not be reached for comment. Like other Chinese media, CCTV faces a pending regulation from Beijing that requires all AI-generated content to be labelled as such from September. Contacted on the weekend, China's state council, which oversees and coordinates government policy, had no immediate comment. In a statement, Reuters said it had removed the CCTV package on Peng's flight from Reuters Connect, an online marketplace that carries material from more than 100 news organisations. 'This content is clearly labelled as third-party content and is not verified or endorsed by Reuters,' the statement said. 'When we became aware of a piece of content that likely contained AI-generated elements on the Reuters Connect platform, we investigated and took it down because the material does not comply with our partner content policy.' Storm clouds In a report published on Wednesday, the Gansu Aeronautical Sports Association said Peng had broken an altitude record after being swept off the ground by a strong wind while testing second-hand gear he had just bought. 'According to Peng, he didn't plan on taking off,' the report said. The association, a private group that oversees air sports in the province, did not respond to a request for comment. It deleted its report on Peng's flight from its WeChat account and by Thursday the association's website was blocked. The association suspended Peng from flying for six months. A member of his flight team was suspended for six months for releasing the video without authorisation. Expert pilots interviewed by Reuters said there were reasons to doubt Peng's flight was a fluke accident, saying he was either trying to make an unauthorised high ascent or should have seen the risk. Storm clouds like the one Peng flew in 'don't just appear above your head and hoover you into space. They build over a period of time,' said Daniel Wainwright, a flight instructor in Australia. 'He shouldn't have been flying.' The specialised heavy mittens shown in the video seem to undercut Peng's claim he had not intended to take off, said Brad Harris, president of the Tasmanian Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. He said he believed Peng may have made up the accidental take-off to avoid sanction for entering restricted air space. 'These are not things you would normally wear or have ready if you were just ground-handling to test a wing,' Harris said. Godfrey Wenness, a former paragliding distance world record holder, said a veteran paraglider could have managed to reverse the extreme but manageable ascent shown in Peng's flight data. 'He was either inexperienced or he was trying to (keep climbing),' Wenness said. Wenness said, however, he believed Peng hit the altitude he claimed based on flight data posted on XContest and then deleted. That data has to be transferred from a GPS in a 'tamper-proof' format, he said. 'We conclude and are confident that the actual flight did occur,' he said.
