Key Finding: A widely shared image purporting to show former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo presenting his university diploma is AI-generated. Verification traced the image to PSI footage from a Bandung event on September 26, 2026, in which Jokowi showed a party membership card, not a diploma. Google's SynthID Detector found digital watermarks indicating AI-generation, and Gadjah Mada University has affirmed the diploma's authenticity.
AI-Generated Image Falsely Shows Ex‑President Jokowi Holding Diploma, Verification Finds
Screenshot of false post taken September 30, 2026, with AI label and red X added by AFP
An image circulating on social media that appeared to show former Indonesian president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo publicly displaying his university diploma has been verified as synthetic. The still image was created from video footage in which Jokowi was holding a party membership card, not a diploma. Independent checks identified digital markers consistent with AI generation.
What Happened
On September 29, 2026, a post on Facebook claimed "Finally, Jokowi is showing his original diploma," accompanied by an image of the ex-president holding what looked like a Gadjah Mada University certificate. The same image also spread on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms.
Screenshot comparison between false post (L) and Instagram post. AI label and red X added by AFP
How It Was Verified
A reverse image search traced the altered still to a video published on September 27, 2026, by the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) on its official Instagram account. In the original footage from a PSI regional meeting in Bandung on September 26, Jokowi is seen displaying a party membership card; he is not holding a diploma. Several matching details — his party badge, headdress, microphone and the Indonesian flag to his right — show the image was based on that video even though the background differs.
AFP submitted the disputed image to Google's SynthID Detector, which identified embedded digital watermarks consistent with images produced by Google's generative tools. PSI had not responded to AFP's request for comment at the time of publication.
Analysis result from Google's SynthID Detector tool
Context
The synthetic image surfaced amid ongoing legal controversy: critics allege Jokowi used a forged diploma when registering for his 2014 and 2019 presidential candidacies, claims he denies. In April 2025 Jokowi did show his diploma to journalists under restrictions that prohibited recording. Gadjah Mada University has stated the diploma is authentic and published photos of his graduation and undergraduate thesis to support that position.
Bottom line: The widely shared image is an AI-generated manipulation of footage in which Jokowi displayed a party membership card; verification tools detected AI watermarks and the original video confirms the claim is false.
Why It Matters
Synthetic media can spread quickly and influence public perception, especially during legal or political disputes. Independent verification — including reverse video/image searches and detection tools such as SynthID — is essential to separate authentic evidence from manipulated content.
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