A viral image circulating on social media and presented as proof that Jeffrey Epstein is alive and “walking around” in Tel Aviv has been identified as artificial intelligence generated content, with digital checks indicating it was produced or edited using Google’s AI tools.
The photograph, shared widely in recent days with captions claiming Epstein had been “spotted alive in Israel”, gained traction in online communities already primed by renewed attention around the so-called “Epstein files” and longstanding conspiracy theories about his death in federal custody in 2019.
According to an analysis referenced by LADbible, the original version of the image contains a SynthID watermark, Google’s technology designed to mark AI-generated media. LADbible reported that Google’s Gemini tools indicated the picture was not an authentic photograph, concluding that “most or all of it was edited or generated using Google’s AI tools”. The outlet also said the original contained a visible Gemini watermark in the bottom-right corner that was removed when the image was cropped for sharing online.
The claim that the picture showed Epstein alive in Tel Aviv was amplified in posts on X and other platforms, with some users presenting it as definitive evidence that he had faked his death. Fact-checkers said they found no credible reports or official confirmation of any such sighting, and noted that the image itself contained indications associated with AI-generated content, including a Gemini watermark.
SynthID, developed by Google DeepMind, is designed to embed a digital marker that is not visible to viewers but can be detected by Google’s verification systems. DeepMind describes SynthID as a tool to watermark and identify content generated through AI, with the watermark “imperceptible to humans” while remaining detectable by supporting technology, even after common edits such as cropping or compression.
Google has also promoted a separate verification approach called SynthID Detector, described as a portal that can scan uploaded images, audio, video or text for a SynthID watermark and indicate which areas are most likely to contain it. The company has framed the tool as part of broader efforts to improve transparency as generative media becomes more widely available and harder to authenticate by sight alone.
The resurgence of the Epstein “alive” narrative has overlapped with a fresh wave of online speculation and misinformation tied to renewed public interest in documents connected to Epstein’s case. LADbible said the viral image was not part of any official document release, but nonetheless became caught up in the wider social media swirl surrounding references to Epstein and figures linked to him.
The claims have also been echoed by high-profile individuals. Lady Victoria Hervey, a British socialite and former girlfriend of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, discussed the Epstein story in a radio interview and suggested, without evidence, that Epstein could be alive and in Israel. In comments quoted by LADbible, she said: “I don’t even think Jeffrey Epstein’s dead anymore, to be honest,” adding that she thought he could be in Israel.
Hervey also said she had formed doubts after reading material she believed was included among documents related to Epstein, and referenced an online claim associated with a prison guard account that has circulated in conspiracy circles. LADbible reported that she raised the idea of bodies being “switched out”, and said the prison guard “needs to be interviewed”, while acknowledging the notion was rooted in unverified online chatter.
Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender facing federal charges, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York on 10 August 2019 while awaiting trial. The New York City medical examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging, and the US Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General later stated that its investigation found no evidence contradicting the conclusion that he died by suicide, while also detailing extensive failures in staffing, supervision and record-keeping inside the facility.
Despite those official conclusions, conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death have persisted for years, fuelled by the circumstances of his incarceration, earlier reports of a prior incident in his cell, and scrutiny of jail procedures and surveillance coverage. The Inspector General report described systemic problems at the facility at the time, which critics have argued created fertile ground for speculation even as authorities maintained the official finding.
The latest AI-generated image illustrates how synthetic media can latch onto existing narratives and spread rapidly, particularly when it appears to provide visual “proof” of a claim that is already popular in some online spaces. Fact-checkers examining the viral picture said they used a combination of reverse image searches and AI detection tools and found strong signals that it was artificially generated, alongside the presence of Gemini-related markings in versions of the image shared online.
Researchers and news outlets have warned more broadly about how easily convincing fake images can be produced using readily available generative AI systems, especially involving well-known public figures. A recent report highlighted how AI tools can quickly fabricate images of Epstein with prominent individuals, underscoring the difficulty platforms face in moderating and verifying content once it begins circulating at scale.
In this case, the digital watermarking trail appears to have been key. The detection of SynthID and the presence of a Gemini watermark in the original file, as described in reports, offered a concrete indicator that the picture was not a conventional photograph, even if cropped versions were shared without obvious labels.
While the viral post claimed to show Epstein alive in Israel, no law enforcement agency or official body has provided evidence supporting that assertion. Instead, the available reporting and verification checks point to an AI-generated image repurposed to fit a conspiracy narrative, amplified by the ongoing public fascination with Epstein’s crimes, his associates, and the circumstances of his death.