FACT CHECK: X Image Showing Purported Exchange Between Elon Musk And Mark Zuckerberg At A Recent AI Forum Is Altered
A viral image shared on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, purports to show a heated exchange between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk at a recent forum focused on artificial intelligence (AI).
What did they say to each other? pic.twitter.com/tWu81esJh3
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 13, 2023
Verdict: False
The image appears to be digitally altered. Zuckerberg and Musk were not even seated next to each other at the event, media from X and Getty Images show.
Fact Check:
Both Zuckerberg and Musk recently attended the “AI Insight Forum” in Washington, D.C. hosted by Senate House Leader and Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, according to The New York Times. The forum lasted three hours and was focused on “the importance of open and transparent AI systems,” the outlet reported.
“What did they say to each other?,” the X post, which has been viewed over 600,000 times, purports. In an image featured in the post, Zuckerberg and Musk appear to be seated side by side with tense expressions on both of their faces.
The image appears to be digitally altered, however. A video shared to X by the social media user @HowThingsWork_ indicates Zuckerberg and Musk were not even seated next to each other at the event. As the video pans across the room, viewers can note that there are a large number of people seated between the two tech CEOs and they are not within a close enough range of each other to engage in a heated exchange.
Star studded AI Forum being held today, However im sure all eyes will be on Elon & Zuck being in the same room.
Would love to know if they have a conversation today? 👀 or do you think they’ll ignore each other? 🤣
— H0W_THlNGS_W0RK (@HowThingsWork_) September 13, 2023
Likewise, photos from Getty Images also show that Zuckerberg and Musk were not seated next to each other at the event. Zuckerberg was actually seated beside Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights President and CEO Maya Wiley, according to the captions on multiple images that appear on the site. An image of Zuckerberg appearing to make a tense expression at Wiley is the same image that is featured in the digitally altered X post.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting the two tech CEOs had a tense exchange at the recent AI forum they both attended. Neither Zuckerberg nor Musk have publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: No, Mark Zuckerberg Did Not Accuse Elon Musk Of Having An Affair With Sergey Brin’s Wife)
Check Your Fact has contacted both Zuckerberg and Musk for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
