AAP FACTCHECK – A Facebook site purporting to share historical photos claims that a suspiciously clear black-and-white picture shows Henry Ford sitting in his first automobile in 1896.
The claim is false. The image – which has been generated by artificial intelligence (AI) – does not show Henry Ford or even accurately depict his first automobile, the quadricycle.
It is one of a number of so-called historical pictures on the site that are AI fabrications.
The post, from the Facebook page Past Perspectives, shows a man in what appears to be a small automobile.
“Henry Ford sits in his first automobile the Ford Quadricycle. Ford made three Quadricycles in total. Ca. 1896,” the caption reads.
The image does not show Henry Ford in his first quadricycle, however.
A photograph in the Detroit Public Library’s Digital Collections shows Mr Ford as he actually appeared in 1896, looking nothing like the man in the Past Perspectives image.
The genuine vehicle is also different – it’s steered by a tiller, while the vehicle in the AI image has a steering wheel, and the engine housing is in a different place.
Certain defects in the image also confirm it has been AI-generated, for example, the man’s right hand seemingly going through the steering wheel.
There are several tips for checking if a picture has been generated by AI: stray pixels, odd outlines and misplaced shapes are examples of giveaway inconsistencies.
Another image from the same Facebook page claims to show the Wright brothers’ first successful powered flight in 1903.
The caption reads: “A historic black-and-white photograph of the Wright brothers’ first successful powered flight in 1903. The plane, with its delicate wooden structure, is airborne against a clear blue sky. In the foreground, the brothers stand proudly …”
Clearly, the plane in the picture is not airborne, but genuine historical images also reveal the 1903 Flyer I was a different shape, while other photos of the Wright brothers bear no resemblance to the men in the Past Perspectives image.
A closer inspection reveals odd outlines around the hands and neck/collar, indicating AI.
Another post claims to show the Abernathy brothers with their motorcycle in 1913.
However, one of the boys depicted has a right hand where his left hand should be, and the vehicle is a later version.
Ironically, Past Perspectives had previously shared a genuine photo of the brothers in a different post.
And in a post claiming to show the Noonans family of Massachusetts in the 1920s, the father has three legs and one of the smaller children, who is missing his right arm, is balanced precariously in an oddly placed window.
The real Noonans can be seen in a photograph in the digital archives of the Boston Public Library.
The Verdict
The claim that a suspiciously clear black-and-white picture shows Henry Ford sitting in his first automobile in 1896 is false.
It is an AI-generated image and bears little resemblance to historical photos of Mr Ford in his first quadricycle.
The picture is one of a number that a Facebook site claims are real, whereas they are artificial and misrepresent historical reality.
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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