The video was created by RT and includes a disclaimer clarifying its nature near the conclusion.
On social media platforms, a video circulates depicting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, alongside several Western leaders seemingly confessing to damning accusations linked to their tenure.
Also appearing in the footage are former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and previous US Presidents George W Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.
This video frequently appears with identical captions questioning, «Do you ever wish Western leaders would be a bit more honest?» — a broad statement hinting toward disinformation.
Within the video, the figure resembling Sarkozy states, «Did I help bomb Libya and kill Gaddafi to bury proof that he bankrolled my presidential campaign?»
Following that, the depiction of von der Leyen asserts, «Did I promote COVID jabs because I arranged a €35 billion cash injection through a secret deal with Pfizer?»
Despite the voices sounding quite convincing, the video is actually AI-generated, which becomes evident when observing the leaders’ unnatural facial features and their awkward speech patterns.
Production of the video was handled by the Russian state-controlled media outlet Russia Today, as denoted by the channel’s logo in the top right corner and the ending segment highlighting its 20th anniversary.
RT includes a disclaimer toward the conclusion clarifying that the content is an «AI-generated parody».
Nevertheless, RT was banned throughout the EU, the UK, and several other nations after Russia commenced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as part of efforts to suppress disinformation.
The controversial matters discussed by the AI-rendered leaders reference real issues from their time in office.
For instance, Sarkozy’s depiction questions the unsupported allegation that he facilitated the bombing of Libya and the killing of Muammar Gaddafi to conceal evidence of funding his election campaign.
The former French president was incarcerated last week for criminal conspiracy connected to an attempt to secure Libyan financing during his 2007 presidential bid. He is currently contesting this conviction.
The AI-generated representation of von der Leyen addresses the so-called Pfizergate case, where it is claimed the Commission president personally orchestrated a deal with Pfizer to promote its COVID-19 vaccines, circumventing official procurement procedures. She denies any misconduct.
Meanwhile, the depiction of Boris Johnson implies he sabotaged a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine when one was reportedly «on the table».
A recurring disinformation narrative pushed by Kremlin sources suggests that the EU and European nations oppose peace in Ukraine and aim to prolong the conflict. In reality, European leaders have continuously backed peace initiatives and declare their commitment to a lasting resolution respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
In February, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly denied assertions that Johnson obstructed a possible peace accord in spring 2022, as claimed by Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin.
«There were several approaches with ultimatums [from Russia to end the war] and I never gave my approval for it,» Zelenskyy reportedly stated in an interview with The Guardian in February. «It doesn’t align with logic; what exactly was he [Johnson] supposed to dissuade us from?»
Johnson has also rejected these claims as Russian propaganda.
The RT video arrives amid an increase in the sophistication and frequency of AI-generated videos.
In October, Sora 2 technology — developed by OpenAI, the same company behind ChatGPT — was introduced in Canada and the US, although it remains unavailable officially in Europe.
While The Cube could not identify the specific tech used here, following Sora’s launch, social media has seen a surge of high-quality AI-created videos featuring celebrities.