AI Generated Epstein Photos Spark Viral False Claims About NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani And His Family

NEW YORK, NY — A series of artificial intelligence–generated images falsely portraying Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a child alongside his mother, filmmaker Mira Nair, with convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein spread widely across social media this week, prompting renewed warnings about the speed and reach of AI-driven misinformation.

The images surfaced Monday on X after the Justice Department released a new tranche of Epstein-related files on Friday. The photos depict Mamdani at various childhood ages posed with Epstein, his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and high-profile public figures including former President Bill Clinton, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The images were fabricated, according to an AP News review.

Each contains a visible digital watermark identifying the content as generated or altered using artificial intelligence.

Google’s Gemini app detected SynthID, a watermarking tool embedded by Google AI models, in all of the images. The account that first posted them describes itself as an “AI-powered meme engine” that creates “AI videos and memes.”

In one image, Mamdani and Nair appear at the front of a nighttime group photo on a crowded city street with Epstein, Maxwell, Clinton, Gates and Bezos. Mamdani appears to be a preteen. Another image places a slightly younger Mamdani in a tropical setting, with Maxwell’s arm around him as Epstein holds Clinton. Additional images depict Mamdani as a baby in Nair’s arms alongside Epstein and others.

The timeline does not align with reality. Mamdani was 18 in 2009, the year Nair was mentioned in an email from publicist Peggy Siegal to Epstein describing an afterparty for a film held at Maxwell’s Manhattan townhouse. None of Epstein’s victims have publicly accused Clinton, Gates or Bezos of involvement in Epstein’s crimes.

The X account that posted the images did not respond to inquiries but appeared to acknowledge their creation in a follow-up post. “I purposely made him a baby which would technically make this pic 34 years old,” the account wrote.

The images fueled additional false claims online, including assertions that Epstein was Mamdani’s father. Mamdani’s father is Mahmood Mamdani, an anthropology professor at Columbia University. Other posts falsely claimed Nair had been married to a relative of Epstein. She was previously married to photographer Mitch Epstein, who has no known familial ties to the financier.

On Wednesday, Mamdani addressed the circulation of the images, calling the experience “incredibly difficult.”

“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes,” Mamdani said. “We also have to work to ensure that we have a city, we have a state, we have a country that actually has a regulatory system when it comes to AI, because frankly what it looks like is a system that is ill-equipped for the speed and the reach of the technologies in front of us.”

The episode marked the second time Mamdani has been targeted by AI-generated imagery in a political context. During last year’s mayoral race, an ad briefly published by Andrew Cuomo’s campaign used AI-generated images, including a depiction of Mamdani eating rice with his hands.

The campaign later said the ad was released in error.

Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a ban on generative AI in political campaigns during her State of the State address earlier this month. Mamdani said he has also discussed the use of AI in city schools with the schools chancellor, as the city’s education department prepares to release new classroom guidelines later this month.

Mamdani pointed to the rapid spread of the false images as evidence that government oversight has not kept pace with emerging technology.