Malaysians Credit Battle Over Viral AI Image "All Eyes on Rafah"

An AI-Generated Image Sparks Controversy

The AI-generated image entitled “All Eyes on Rafah” recently grabbed media headlines when it went viral across all major social media platforms. As the image has generated so much discussion, it has also sparked controversy between two Malaysians, Zila Abka and Amirul Shah who claim to be the rightful creator of the image.

What is “All Eyes on Rafah?”

“All Eyes on Rafah,” as most people would know, calls for awareness and action. It is to utilize social media to voice out for people to continue their social involvement in a place of conflict and share it with others.

Zila Abka, an AI Enthusiast

According to the news site NPR, Zila Abka, a 39-year-old science teacher from Sabah, first created the image in February of this year, using Microsoft’s Image Creator.

As an AI art enthusiast and pro-Palestinian activist, Abka aimed to highlight the ongoing genocide of people in Gaza, specifically in Rafah. She then shared her creation in a Facebook group for AI artists, Prompters Malaya, complete with watermarks showing that it was AI-generated and from her creation.

“I wanted to spread and highlight the issue and hoped that everybody would do whatever they could to show solidarity with Gazans right now,” Abka told NPR.

Similar Image She Created Was All Over Social Media

This was not an issue until a 21-year-old college student and photographer from Kuala Lumpur, Amirul Shah more known as the user @/shahv4012 on Instagram created a template last month. It comes with a watermark under the image, @/chaa.my_.

Abka, the original image creator, believes the image was hers. She feels her image was altered, and her watermark was replaced from the original image and is now being claimed by Amirul. “Everything about the structure of the words and the arrangement of the ‘tents,’ it’s all the same, except for the expanded part,” she said. “When I saw it, I thought, yeah, I think this is mine.”

NST reported that Amirul (pictured above) claimed that he used Microsoft’s Image Creator as well to create the ‘Rafah’ image but couldn’t recall how he went about it. Going by his Instagram name @/shahv4012, the image featured snow-capped mountains in the background and a darkened foreground. Shah claims that he has never seen Abka’s photo before. He also said his intention was not to gain attention but to raise awareness of the ongoing genocide in Palestine.

The Spread, Celebrity Reposts

When Amirul posted this image in May, it went viral and was even seen on the Instagram accounts of celebrities like Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid, garnering almost 50 million shares. Not only Western artists, but Bollywood artists Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra also shared the AI image on their respective social media profiles. His name, with the watermark, on the viral image made many believe he was the creator, adding to Abka’s frustrations.

Photo credits: WLIW, shahv4012 on Instagram

Source:NPR, malaymail, NST, KoiMoi