How the Internet Broke Everyone’s Bullshit Detectors

Synthetic media, including AI-generated propaganda videos, has become a primary information warfare tool where speed of production and algorithmic reach now matter more than accuracy. State-sponsored outlets like Iran-linked Explosive News can produce convincing synthetic content in hours, while official institutions including the White House increasingly adopt the aesthetics of leaks and cryptic teasers, blurring the line between authentic and fabricated content. As verification becomes asymmetric and access to primary visual evidence is restricted—exemplified by Planet Labs withholding satellite imagery—generative AI fills the gap, making distinguishing real from synthetic increasingly impossible at scale.