SNP edited image sows confusion online

An image shared on social media by the SNP and the First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, has sowed confusion online, with some social media users questioning whether the image was made with artificial intelligence.

The image shows Mr Swinney standing in front of a group of SNP supporters, some of whom are holding signs. The group is standing below a digital billboard that features a photo of Mr Swinney and says: “The SNP wants to lower your bills. Other parties are trying to stop us.”

However, the writing on some of the signs appears distorted, and a number of people’s faces are blurred, with a few bodies appearing to morph into each other, leading to at least two dozen social media users to question the veracity of the image, and whether it was AI-generated.

The photo was taken at an SNP press call in Edinburgh on 29 April. Agency photos and a photo posted on X by a communications officer for the SNP in Holyrood show a very similar scene, but the billboard in the background is noticeably darker than in the image shared by Mr Swinney. In these photos, the writing on the signs is clear and the text isn’t garbled.

We asked the SNP if AI had been used to edit the photo. While they didn’t specifically address this question, a spokesperson for the party did tell us: “Our picture was edited quickly to enhance the billboard image which was obscured by bright sunlight.

The people in the picture are 100% real”.