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AI-generated clips shared as genuine footage of eroded land bridge between India and Sri Lanka
AFP - The Rama Setu -- also known as Adam's Bridge -- is a series of limestone shoals connecting the Indian mainland and Sri Lanka, but a video shared online with claims it depicts the natural formation under the sea is generated with AI.
"Sree Rama sethu inside the sea," reads the caption to a video shared on Facebook on April 3.
The series of clips appears to show scuba divers navigating underwater rock structures with inscriptions on them, some free floating in the water while others resemble temples.
Text overlaid on the video reads, "POV: You are a scuba diver exploring Ramasetu".
Rama Setu, also known as Adam's Bridge, is a chain of limestone shoals that connects Mannar Island, off the northwest coast of Sri Lanka, to Rameswaram Island, off the southwest coast of India.
The formerly traversable land bridge is also associated with Hindu mythology -- it is mentioned in the Ramayana epic and is said to have been built by the deity Rama and his army.
The video was shared elsewhere on X and Instagram after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first foreign dignitary to visit Sri Lanka after its new leftist government swept to power in 2024.
Modi's two-day official visit starting April 4 helped India secure defence and energy deals with its neighbour, seen as a move to counter rival China's growing influence in the region.
But the clips are generated with AI tools, the user who made them told AFP.
A reverse image search using keyframes from the clip found it was uploaded on Instagram by a "digital creator" on March 27, alongside a disclaimer it was created using AI
The caption reads, in part, "The Rama Setu: Exploring the Floating Rocks Beneath the Waves".
"The images/videos shown in this reel are purely AI generated, our intentions are not to hurt or harm anyone. This is just for entertainment purpose," it also states.
The same account repeatedly posts similar AI-imagery of architectural marvels from around the world.
Bharath Kumar, who runs the Instagram account, confirmed the video was made using computer-generated imagery.
"I made the video with the help of AI tools like Google Imagen AI, Midjourney, FreePik AI & Kling," Kumar told AFP on April 9.
Kumar said his intention behind the video was "to show places to the people which couldn't be explored".
Satellite imagery released by the European Space Agency on June 21, 2024 shows the Rama Setu as a series of sandy shoals between the Indian mainland and Sri Lanka.
"According to records, this natural bridge was traversable until the 15th century, after which it was gradually eroded by storms over the years," reads the ESA's description.
"Some of the sandbanks are dry and, as the light colour of the water indicates, the sea here is very shallow, only 1–10 m deep."
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