Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has pointed fingers at Meta, the parent company of Instagram, for failing to tag an Artificial Intelligence label on a fake picture of alleged drug lord Ryan Wedding she showcased during a recent press briefing. Wedding is currently standing trial in California after being taken into U.S. custody in Mexico. Sheinbaum is now under growing pressure to clarify the circumstances surrounding Wedding’s arrest following conflicting statements from both Mexican and U.S. authorities.
During a press conference, Sheinbaum displayed an image from an Instagram account purportedly linked to Wedding, showing him in front of the former U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, claiming that he had turned himself in there. A CBC News analysis revealed that the image was generated using Artificial Intelligence. This particular Instagram account had previously shared AI-generated photos of Wedding.
Facing inquiries about the use of the manipulated image, Sheinbaum criticized Meta for not indicating that the image was AI-generated. She emphasized that social media platforms are required to label content manipulated by AI, which was missing in this case.
Meta aims to label AI content detected on its platforms, stating that not all AI-generated content carries identifiable information. However, Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
In another development, CBC News tried to verify the connection between the Instagram account @bossryanw and the real Ryan Wedding. The account shared a partial image of a Mexican ID card belonging to Wedding’s wife, Myriam Castillo. CBC’s visual investigations unit detected signs of AI manipulation in the image, raising doubts about its authenticity.
Sheinbaum utilized the @bossryanw Instagram account during the press conference to support the claim that Wedding surrendered to U.S. authorities at the embassy. Wedding is now facing multiple charges in a U.S. federal court in California, including drug-related offenses and murder.
The Mexican government has come under scrutiny for conflicting accounts regarding Wedding’s capture, with FBI director Kash Patel and Wedding’s lawyer suggesting his apprehension in Mexico involved U.S. agents. Sheinbaum reiterated that Wedding surrendered based on information provided by U.S. authorities, despite discrepancies in statements by other parties.
When asked about the discrepancies, Sheinbaum maintained her position, citing information from the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson. She emphasized the need for transparency and truthfulness in the ongoing investigation into Wedding’s arrest.