Are AI-generated images distorting the story of Gaza-bound Somoud convoy?

Amid the ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) craze, even the most earnest causes—such as the grassroots Maghreb-led convoy aiming to break Israel's siege on Gaza—find themselves ensnared in a flood of AI-generated synthetic visuals, fuelling a stream of misinformation that often undermines the very movements they claim to support.

One image, in particular, has sparked controversy. It depicts endless rows of cars packed with faceless activists waving Palestinian, Tunisian, Algerian, and several unidentifiable flags, all set against a cinematic backdrop of Saharan dunes.

The image, purportedly showing the Gaza-bound "Somoud" convoy, went viral on Tuesday. Its origin remains unclear.

While some viewers were immediately sceptical of the surreal scale portrayed, others raised concerns over the logistical and security implications such a caravan might pose in transit through regional countries.

Egyptian state-aligned commentators, in particular, echoed these safety concerns when defending Cairo's refusal to allow the convoy entry.

In reality, the organisers of the Somoud convoy, backed by grassroots movements from Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya, have repeatedly clarified that the caravan comprises no more than 150 cars and buses and that the number of activists was capped at around 1,500 for logistical reasons.

Nonetheless, the AI-generated image has led some to question the authenticity of the initiative altogether, especially after French MP Sebastien Delogu shared it on Instagram to praise the mission.

He later posted a real photograph showing the convoy's activists and vehicles, reassuring followers that the movement was genuine.

"Why is AI footage being generated for the Somoud convoy when real footage exists?" asked Omara Gangarab, a user on Threads who argued that such content dilutes the visibility of SWANA (South West Asian and North African) people leading the initiative.

Rather than spotlighting North African faces and voices, the viral AI images recast the movement into an eerily synthetic, depersonalised spectacle, easy to dismiss, easier to misappropriate, argued several users on Threads.

Some organisers have acknowledged this risk. The power of the convoy, they argue, lies not in celebrity endorsements or Western recognition, but in the familiar faces of everyday families and citizens who joined spontaneously. "We don't have big names, but we have real people," said Jawaher Chenna, a Tunisian activist and organiser, before the departure of the convoy.

Researchers have long noted that AI image generators struggle to represent people of colour accurately—a bias rooted in flawed training data. The result is usually distorted, often unsettling visuals that erase identity under a gloss of homogeneity.

Elsewhere, the misuse of AI has taken a political turn that might jeopardise the convoy's passage.

One generated image shows a man wearing a shirt featuring the Egyptian flag throwing glass at a bus draped with Palestinian and Tunisian flags.

Widely circulated on Facebook, the image sparked outrage among Egyptian social media users, many of whom viewed it as an unjust attack on the Egyptian people rather than a critique of the state's policies.

Egypt had detained and deported dozens of foreign activists arriving as part of the Global March to Gaza campaign, headed for the Rafah border, amid pressure from Israel to stop the movement.

Authorities cited the lack of prior permits to travel to Rafah, saying foreigners need official clearance for such visits. 

Cairo has yet to give permission to Somoud to cross. 

"Please stop sharing hate messages against any people or authority", warned Jawaher Chenna, one of the Somoud organisers, in a statement.

"This convoy is about solidarity and breaking the siege on Gaza. Any hate message could sabotage our journey."

This isn't the first time AI-generated content related to Gaza has gone viral. Last year, an image of refugee tents spelling out "All eyes on Rafah" was shared over 45 million times, despite the scene bore little resemblance to Rafah or Gaza.

The AI image showed neatly spaced tents in a vast open desert, flanked improbably by snowy mountains.

Social media watchdog group 7amleh stated that it has been unable to determine precisely why such content spreads so widely. One possible explanation, they say, is that Meta's algorithm may suppress or remove Gaza-related posts, inadvertently pushing AI-generated images to the forefront due to their vagueness. 

Using AI to generate content has often drawn criticism, both for its environmental toll and its cringe-worthy misuse by figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump to inflate their public image with cartoonish muscles, more hair, and superhero costumes.

However, in the context of Gaza and West Asian and North African grassroots efforts, many see AI use as discrediting and a 'memification' of very real, human struggle.

"I see all this AI-generated content all the time, especially on Facebook," commented Haikal Hazeman, a user on Threads. "It really undermines our cause."

"It's done intentionally to discredit us," another user added.

Somoud convoy is part of a growing grassroots response to Israel's ongoing assault and blockade on Gaza.

It comes just days after Israeli forces illegally intercepted the Freedom Flotilla ship Madleen, which was attempting to deliver aid by sea.

Since 8 p.m. on Thursday, the convoy has been awaiting security clearance to enter the territories controlled by eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar.