Internet users are using AI tools to upscale and “enhance” blurry FBI surveillance photos of a person of interest in the Charlie Kirk shooting, but these AI-generated images are creating fictional details rather than revealing hidden information. The practice demonstrates how AI upscaling tools can mislead criminal investigations by inferring nonexistent features from low-resolution images.
Why this matters: AI upscaling has a documented history of creating false details, including past incidents where it transformed Obama into a white man and added nonexistent features to Trump’s appearance, making these “enhanced” images potentially harmful to legitimate investigations.
What happened: The FBI posted two blurry surveillance photos on X seeking information about a person of interest in the Charlie Kirk shooting.
- Users immediately responded with AI-upscaled versions created using tools like X’s Grok bot and ChatGPT.
- The AI-generated variations show dramatically different details, with some displaying obviously fabricated features like “Gigachad-level chin” and completely different clothing.
- While ostensibly meant to help identify the suspect, the images also serve as attention-grabbing content for likes and reposts.
The technical problem: AI upscaling tools don’t actually uncover hidden details in pixelated images—they extrapolate and infer what might be there based on training data.
- The technology fills in gaps by making educated guesses rather than revealing actual information.
- Different AI tools produce varying results from the same source image, highlighting their unreliability.
- These tools can be useful in certain circumstances but should never be treated as evidence in criminal investigations.
Past examples: Previous incidents demonstrate the dangerous inaccuracy of AI upscaling in real-world scenarios.
- AI tools have “depixelated” low-resolution images with completely incorrect results.
- The technology has added nonexistent physical features to recognizable public figures.
- These failures underscore why law enforcement agencies rely on original surveillance footage rather than AI enhancements.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...