An Indian billionaire did not promote a trading program. That video was fabricated | Fact check
Gabrielle SettlesThe claim: Video shows an Indian billionaire promoting a trading software
A Nov. 8 Facebook video (direct link, archived link) shows Indian billionaire and former tech CEO N.R. Narayana Murthy appearing to talk about new software.
"Today I want to present a new project with a 94% success rate of Quantum AI," Murthy seems to say. "This is the world's first quantum computing software developed by my team. Quantum AI is an ideal tool for making a profit from trading stocks with minimal risk."
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Our rating: Altered
The video is altered to add an audio track of things Murthy never said. There are no credible reports that Murthy promoted a new software to trade stocks. The original video comes from an interview at a business conference.
Original video shows Murthy speaking to India's entrepreneurs
Murthy is the co-founder and former CEO and chairman of Infosys, an information technology company and consulting firm. It was the first Indian company to be listed on the American Stock Exchange, according to Britannica. Murthy's net worth is $4.4 billion, Forbes reported.
The video in the post comes from a June 24, 2022, conference called MindRush, which was hosted by Indian business magazine Business Today. Murthy spoke about entrepreneurship and leadership in the country's market. He did not talk about Quantum AI.
There are no credible reports of Murthy promoting Quantum AI.
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Murthy's mouth has been edited in the Facebook video; his lips do not sync with the audio. In addition, the voice and accent in the video do not match Murthy's. These are telltale signs of a deepfake, which is an altered image or video that can make a person appear to do or say things that they never did.
A link at the bottom of the video leads to a website that makes no mention of Quantum AI. Instead, it points users to other financial articles.
USA TODAY previously debunked a similar video, which showed an altered version of CNN's Kaitlan Collins and Elon Musk also promoting a computer trading software. While the supposed software was not named, the video mentioned that "artificial intelligence was integrated" into the program.
Quantum computing is a "rapidly emerging technology" that uses the laws of quantum mechanics to quickly solve problems that are too complex even for supercomputers, according to IBM. Using such hardware could lead to safer and more efficient use of AI.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Lead Stories also debunked this claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- Infosys, accessed Nov. 20, About Page
- Britannica, accessed Nov. 20, Narayana Murthy
- Forbes, accessed Nov. 20, N.R. Narayana Murthy
- Business Today, June 24, 2022, Business Today Mindrush with N.R. Narayan Murthy
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