Fact Check: Widely circulated photo claiming to be of Ratan Tata in his youthful days is AI-generated

Ratan Tata, renowned for leading the Tata Group to global prominence, was equally admired for his quiet demeanor and compassionate nature. As India mourns the loss of this beloved industrialist and philanthropist, many are reflecting on his personal side through stories shared by those who knew him well. The former chairman of Tata Sons, who passed away on October 9 at the age of 86 after a brief illness, was not only a titan of industry but also a humble and approachable figure in his everyday life.

Meanwhile, Ratan Tata's life story has been broadcasted on various media showing his childhood days, youthful vigour and as a composed entrepreneur. Each of the news stories has a unique photo of Ratan.

Several users also shared a photo allegedly showing a young Ratan Tata on a bicycle, as they reflected on the life of the industrialist.

Fact Check:

The claim is false. The viral image is not of Ratan Tata; it is generated by AI.

During our investigation, we reviewed Ratan Tata's social media accounts but did not find the viral image shared there.

We also searched Google using relevant keywords but were unable to locate the image.

Additionally, using tools like Hive Moderation, we discovered that the image was 98.7% likely to have been generated by AI.

While investigating with the AI tool TrueMedia, we noticed that one man's legs in the background were disfigured, and the face of a woman in the right corner of the image appeared deformed. These details raised further doubts about the authenticity of the photo.

When examined using the 'IsItAI' tool, the analysis showed that the image was 81% likely to have been generated by AI, as reported.

Previously, Boom conducted a fact check on this viral and concluded that "News Outlets Run AI-Generated Photo Showing Ratan Tata Cycling In His Youth

Whereas News Checker mentioned, 'Viral Photo Showing Ratan Tata Riding A Bicycle Is Actually AI Generated

Hence, we found the claim is false, the image of the young boy on the bicycle is not of Ratan Tata in his youth, but an AI-generated picture.