A video of football star Erling Haaland being startled by his reflection while eating, which garnered millions of views on social media, has been confirmed as an artificial intelligence-edited fabrication. The Chinese hashtag "Haaland startled by his own reflection while eating" quickly became the top trend on Weibo on 29/6, with posts featuring it attracting over 2 million views. The manipulated video subsequently spread across Chinese platforms like Douyin and RedNote, before being shared in other languages on X.

The video, shared widely by accounts such as Seanwei001 on X, which boasts over 150,000 followers, included a caption in Chinese stating: "There's a reason why center-backs fear Haaland. Even he himself is scared when looking in the mirror!" However, verification software from AFP identified inconsistencies in the video. Haaland's right ear shape did not match his actual appearance, and the sponsor logo on the jersey was incorrect, confirming the video's artificial intelligence manipulation.

Details in the composite video do not match Haaland's actual image. Photo: AFP

Newschecker, an organization specializing in fact-checking, traced the original footage to the Chinese couple Jin Long and Qiu Qiu, who operate the jinlongqiuqiu account. They regularly post comedy videos across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Douyin.

Their 31-second video, titled "This person looks familiar," features Long portraying a forgetful mechanic with a dirty face and hands. He is seen eating before being startled by his own reflection in a mirror.

This original video was first posted on Douyin on 15/6 and quickly accumulated nearly 2,6 million views. All key elements in the original jinlongqiuqiu video and the fabricated Haaland video are identical: the bricks and electrical wires on the wall, the food arranged on the tray, and the steamed bun in hand. Only the face and shirt were altered.

Erling Haaland's impressive goal-scoring achievements and distinctive persona have earned him a substantial following on Chinese social media. He amassed over 4,5 million followers on Douyin within weeks of launching his account on 6/6. His popularity was further highlighted by a recent advertisement for a Chinese herbal tea brand, where Haaland spoke Chinese, which garnered over 230 million views on Weibo.

By Hong Hanh (Based on AFP, Yahoo Sports)