A Germany fan is taking legal action after a fake AI-generated photo of him resembling Adolf Hitler in the crowd at a World Cup game went viral on social media.
"I just can't believe it," Jan Weitzel told German public broadcaster hr3 on Thursday, days after the German side's 7-1 victory over Curaçao in Houston.
While Weitzel is not recognizable in the AI-edited image, his son clearly is, he said.
One post on X purportedly showing German fans celebrating Kai Havertz's penalty with Hitler in their midst attracted more than 1 million views.
An analysis by dpa's fact-checking team showed the content was created using OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT. Further AI-generated material included a video claiming to show German fans with their arms outstretched in a Hitler salute.
Weitzel, from Alsfeld in central Germany, told hr3 that he did not initially realize the image was gaining traction, but that he reported the matter to police in Germany and the United States after it spread across various platforms.
Family and friends have also filed reports, he said, adding that he has had dealings with the FBI.
The perpetrator is believed to be from the US.
Despite the shock, Weitzel does not want to let the incident spoil his enjoyment of the World Cup and said he will be in Toronto with his son on Saturday to watch Germany's second group stage game against Ivory coast.
"We won’t let anything take that good feeling away from us," he said, saying he plans to "stay in good spirits and have fun" for the rest of his time in North America.
