AI-Generated Misinformation Over Air India Crash Confuses Even Expert Aviation Professionals

The Air India AI171 flight that crashed in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoffon June 12 claimed 275 lives, including 241 souls onboard, with one survivor. The cause of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s fiery crash is yet to be ascertained, as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is still trying to recover data from the retrieved cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR) since June 24. Amid the delay in the investigation, social media is abuzz with speculation. Adding fuel to the fire is AI-generated misinformation plastered across social media platforms that is even taking aviation professionals for a ride.

As quoted by the Economic Times (ET), the CEO of digital fraud detection firm mFilterIT, Amit Relan, remarked that the company has “observed a disturbing pattern in how bad actors are leveraging AI and social media platforms to spread misinformation and commit fraud during sensitive events like the Air India Flight 171 crash.”

AI-generated content fuels misinformation after Air India crash
https://t.co/e1PLcRw03Z
— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) July 2, 2025

See Also: Internet Asks Sundar Pichai To Be Part-Time Air India CEO Amid A Wave Of Condolences Over Ahmedabad Crash

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The AI hustlers did not even leave the grief-stricken families of the victims after the tragedy by airing AI-generated visuals of the passengers who died. One user shared a clip stating how Aaj Tak used an ‘AI generated video’ of Vijay Rupani to ‘dramatize’ the sequence of events leading to the plane crash. The user jibed, “Media vultures won’t even respect a BJP leader in death, so long as they get TRP.” Yet another publication showed how “Fake AI-generated videos based on the photos of victims began to spread on social media” soon after the tragic crash.

Fake AI-generated video based on the photo of victims began to spread on social media.
Real grief, fake images: How AI hijacked Air India crash coverage https://t.co/bsNPjd0pPD @NikkeiAsia pic.twitter.com/7Knwpk19CM
— Ken Kobayashi (@KenKobayashi) June 27, 2025

In less than 12 hours of his demise, Aajtak used an ‘AI generated video’ of Vijay Rupani to ‘dramatize’ the sequence of events leading to the plane crash.

Media vultures won’t even respect a BJP leader in de@th, so long as they get TRP.pic.twitter.com/JQEsqHqoGz
— PunsterX (@PunsterX) June 12, 2025

Real grief, fake images: How AI hijacked Air India crash coverage https://t.co/vN15OVQ9R3
— Nikkei Asia (@NikkeiAsia) June 27, 2025

See Also: ‘Anaap Shanaap Khabarein’ Ravish Kumar Warns YouTube Users Of Deepfake AI Versions Of Him Reading Fake News

See Also: ‘Don’t Believe Everything You Scroll Past’: Priyanka Chopra Slams News Publication For Sharing Fake Quote