WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Images show teachers protesting the removal of pride flags from their classrooms.
OUR VERDICT
False. The images are AI-generated.
AAP FACTCHECK - A viral image that appears to show teachers threatening to quit their jobs if pride flags are removed from classrooms is an AI generated fake.
The image has been shared across social media and shows four women standing together in a classroom holding a sign that says: "If you make us take the pride flags out of our classrooms we will quit teaching."
The image shows a six-colour pride flag hanging on the wall behind the women.
The pride flag is traditionally flown in support of LGBTQI communities.
The fabricated photo has been shared multiple times in a Facebook group called Australia Now.
Despite its name, most of the posts in the group are from users in Indonesia, who predominantly share content related to Australian politics and social issues.
Indonesia is a known hub for spammers who make money targeting Western audiences with contentious social media posts, as reported by Guardian Australia.
The image of the four teachers includes multiple visual clues it was created using AI software.
An alphabet chart on the wall behind the women is nonsensically labelled "Parenits Lesnchie" and is missing the letters A and I.
Also on the back wall, a poster titled 'TODAY'S SCHEDULE' includes scheduled activities that don't make any sense, such as 'Room' and 'Handloags' at 9am and '5pm' scheduled at 10am.
Similarly, a poster of 'classroom expectations' lists 'learn and expectations' as the first item, followed by other nonsensical words below it.
Gemini, Google's AI assistant, also confirms the image contains invisible watermarks known as SynthID, and was made using Google AI tools.
Comments on the posts suggest many of the Australians viewing them do not realise they are AI-generated.
"You're there to teach. Not to push your warped ideology," one comment reads.
"There's plenty of other unemployed teachers who will gladly take your place," another comment reads.
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