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https://www.productionai.institute/graph/entities/aiid-synthesia

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Production AI Institute public record · synthesia · observed 2025-06-01
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synthesia

synthesia - organisation named in the AI Incident Database harm index.

Confidence
70%
Sources
8
Events
3
Observed
observed 422d ago
synthesia

What changed

In January 2023, purportedly AI-generated videos reportedly began circulating on WhatsApp and social media showing avatars of apparent American pan-Africanists expressing support for Burkina Faso's military junta. The videos were reportedly created using the Synthesia platform. Synthesia later confirmed the videos violated its terms of service and banned the user. The source of the videos remains unidentified.

  • Someone Made AI Videos of ‘Americans’ Backing a Military Coup in West Africahttps://www.vice.com/en/article/ai-generated-video-burkino-faso-coup/
  • AI Incident Database - Incident 1091https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/1091/

Timeline

  1. 1 June 2025Purported Synthesia Avatars Used in Alleged Pro-Junta Deepfake Video Supporting Ibrahim Traoré in Burkina Faso
    Incident78%
    • Someone Made AI Videos of ‘Americans’ Backing a Military Coup in West Africahttps://www.vice.com/en/article/ai-generated-video-burkino-faso-coup/
    • AI Incident Database - Incident 1091https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/1091/
  2. 17 Mar 2023Deepfake Video Featured Fictitious News Anchors Discussing Venezuela's Economy
    Incident82%
    • They’re not TV anchors, they’re avatars: How Venezuela is using AI-generated propagandahttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-02-22/theyre-not-tv-anchors-theyre-avatars-how-venezuela-is-using-ai-generated-propaganda.html
    • Tweet: at cazamosfakenewshttps://twitter.com/cazamosfakenews/status/1625597058034835488
    • AI Incident Database - Incident 487https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/487/
  3. 13 Mar 2023AI Video-Making Tool Abused to Deploy Pro-China News on Social Media
    Incident82%
    • Deepfake newsreaders pump out pro-China newshttps://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/deepfake-newsreaders-pump-out-pro-china-news-gfthxjl0j
    • The People Onscreen Are Fake. The Disinformation Is Real.https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/technology/artificial-intelligence-training-deepfake.html
    • AI Incident Database - Incident 486https://incidentdatabase.ai/cite/486/

PSF mapping

No PSF domains are mapped to this entity in the current public record.

Source trail (8)

primary · checked 25 Feb 2023

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secondary · checked 9 July 2026

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secondary · checked 9 July 2026

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secondary · checked 9 July 2026

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secondary · checked 1 June 2025

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secondary · checked 13 Mar 2023

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secondary · checked 25 Feb 2023

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secondary · checked 25 Feb 2023

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Related records

Connected entities

standardPSF D2 — Output ValidationstandardPSF D6 — Human OversightstandardPSF D7 — SecuritystandardPSF D8 — Vendor Resilience

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"synthesia." https://www.productionai.institute/graph/entities/aiid-synthesia (observed 2025-06-01; retrieved 2026-07-28). PAI.

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