AAP FACTCHECK – A clip of Bill Gates being grilled about profiteering from COVID vaccines during an ABC interview is fake.
Mr Gates did appear on ABC’s 7.30 report two years ago, but that interview did not include the questions featured in the altered version, including one about deaths and side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine.
The doctored clip featuring Mr Gates and 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson appears on Facebook.
“What have you contributed to the world?” Ms Ferguson asks in the altered video.
“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but I created the world’s most popular computer operating system,” Mr Gates responds.
“You have been a major spokesperson for COVID vaccines during the pandemic, what exactly makes you, a computer engineer, who didn’t even program his initial product himself, a valid representative of the pharmaceutical industry?” Ms Ferguson asks.
Ms Ferguson then asks Mr Gates about the COVID vaccine, suggesting it’s a “product full of bugs” like his computer operating system, Windows.
“How do you feel about it now, now that it’s becoming more and more evident that the medication you were promoting whilst having heavily invested in it yourself, thus making billions off it, has caused countless injuries, side effects and death?”
In the fake audio, Mr Gates responds: “That’s a very immature way of looking at it quite frankly”.
But the clip has been digitally altered, as demonstrated by comparing it to the actual interview, which dates back to January 2023 and does not feature the supposed exchange in the social media clip.
In the original video, Ms Ferguson questions Mr Gates on Australia’s role in mitigating climate change, preparing for a potential new pandemic, philanthropy, AI hand the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
She also asks Mr Gates about how he responds to conspiracy theories about him, including “a virulent conspiracy theory (that) emerged during the pandemic that you were using vaccines, using the vaccine rollout, to control people, even to the extent of people claiming you wanted to insert chips inside them.”
Mr Gates says he certainly points out “false stories when they’re published or even people who highlight almost silly misinformation..”
HOW TO SPOT MANIPULATED IMAGES AND VIDEOS
Digital manipulation, particularly with the assistance of AI technology, is becoming more prevalent. If you are unsure, then consider the following:
1. Does the image or video ring true?
If the image or video in question raises questions, then it needs further investigation.
2. Check the source.
Does it come from a trustworthy source? If the source of the content is unfamiliar and doesn’t have a history of reliability, tread cautiously.
3. Look for visual inconsistencies.
AI images can include visual clues that give away their computer-generated origins. Check the image or video for inconsistencies and mistakes.
4. Is the content presented out of context?
Consider if the image or video could have been manipulated in the production or editing process to change its context.
5. Try a reverse image search.
Research image search tools like Google Images and TinEye can be used to find other versions of the image online.
6. Use AI detection tools
Numerous AI detection tools are available online, including AI or Not, Huggingface, Winston AI and Illuminarty.
See here for more details and tips.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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