Real or AI? · Latest checks · Checked 3 October 2026

World leaders squeeze into a selfie at the BRICS summit: real or AI?

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

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

The answer: made by AI

The Russian Embassy in South Africa posted this picture on X on 13 September 2026, during the BRICS summit in New Delhi. The Quint found that the leaders of Brazil, the UAE and Turkey appear in it but did not attend, and that it includes Ebrahim Raisi, who died in May 2024. The Quint also reported that OpenAI's checking tool said the picture was made with OpenAI's tools.

The tells

Ten leaders are packed into one selfie, and every face is sharp, evenly lit and smiling straight at the camera. A real phone selfie taken at arm's length is rarely that neat. Fact-checkers also found that some of the people shown were not at the summit at all. One of them, a former president of Iran, died in 2024.

How we know

• Published fact-check: The Quint (WebQoof), September 2026
• Published fact-check: Lead Stories, 14 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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