FACT CHECK: Image Allegedly Showing Underneath The Capitol Building Is AI-Generated

A photo shared on Facebook claims to show complex architecture underneath the Capitol building. 

Verdict: False

The image is not genuine, but instead was created with artificial intelligence (AI). It contains a watermark for a site that shows a gallery for AI images.

Fact Check:

The first rioter to enter the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, has been convicted on charges of interfering with police and obstructing Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win, according to AP News. The man, 46-year-old Michael Sparks, had jumped through a window after another rioter had smashed it, then joined many others in chasing a police officer up flights of stairs, the outlet reported.

The Facebook post claims there is architecture underneath the Capitol building. The image appears to show the Capitol building positioned above a deep opening in the ground showing an intricate system of roads and rooms carved into the cliff.

“Underneath the Capitol building,” the image’s text reads.

“PREPARING FOR SOMETHING! Google it,” the caption reads.

This is not a genuine photo, however. The bottom left corner shows a watermark for synthographyart.com, which shows many AI images. “Discover a robust collection of AI-generated images in our gallery, offering both prints and digital files for purchase,” the site reads. 

AI-detection tool Hive Moderation indicated that the image is 99% likely to be AI-generated. (RELATED: X Video Falsely Claims Hamas Sympathizers Took Over The U.S. Capitol Rotunda)

Although this image isn’t real, it is true that the Capitol contains a subway system, according to the Architect of the Capitol website. The subway allows “for safe and expedient travel for Senator and Members of Congress to travel from the office buildings to their respective chambers within the Capitol for voting,” the site reads.

Check Your Fact reached out to the Architect of the Capitol’s office for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

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