Real or AI? · Latest checks · Checked 2 October 2026

Politicians and business leaders raise a toast at a black-tie dinner: real or AI?

Short answer: this was made with AI. The evidence is set out below.

Posted on X by @sarrah_bellus · Shown as an embedded post · Source

The answer: made by AI

The picture was posted on X the day after a real White House state dinner for China's President Xi Jinping on 24 September 2026. Lead Stories found a hidden watermark showing it was made with an OpenAI image tool. It also searched for a matching real photo and found none.

The tells

Eleven famous people are squeezed into one tidy group, and every one of them is smiling at the camera. Each face is sharp and evenly lit, even at the back of a dim room. The glasses and lights on the table at the front are soft, blurry shapes.

How we know

• Published fact-check: Lead Stories, 28 September 2026

We only use a picture in the game when its origin is proven. Read how we check.

How to check something like this yourself

1. Search for the picture itself. Put it into Google Lens or TinEye and look for the oldest and sharpest copy.
2. Find who posted it first. See what they said about it and what else they post. Makers of AI pictures often say so, and that label is lost when the picture is copied.
3. Look for a fact-check. Search the main claim with the words “fact check”. Anything widely shared has usually been looked at.
4. Then look closely. Zoom in on hands, writing, edges and the background.

Full guide: How to reverse-search a picture.

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