Editor’s Note
In March 2025, we published verification information on social media regarding an AI-generated video that fabricated U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issuing an ultimatum on Starlink. We have now reorganized and integrated the original content into this long-form report.
Background
The Starlink satellite communication system, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has served as critical communications infrastructure for the Ukrainian military since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
Claims
A video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) since March 4, 2025, allegedly shows Rubio threatening Ukraine. In the clip, he appears to say that he plans to ask Musk to stop Starlink services for the Ukrainian army.
Fact check
- Video Source Verification
Reverse image search confirms: The first 8 seconds of footage are authentic, extracted from Rubio’s CNN interview on February 28. However, the original interview contained no mention of Starlink, Ukraine or Musk.
- Technical Analysis
1.Manual audio examination
Initial authentic segment: The first 8 seconds, sourced from Rubio’s genuine CNN interview, display natural sonic traits, including the characteristic reverb typical of a professional studio setting.
Abrupt noise disappearance: Starting from the ninth second, the ambient noise present in the original segment suddenly vanishes, signaling a significant discontinuity in the audio environment.
Lack of human speech characteristics: The vocal delivery in the latter portion of the video lacks natural intonation, pitch variations, and emotional inflections common in human speech. Instead, it has a robotic, monotonic quality.
2.AI-generated content detection
Advanced digital forensics tools, specifically Hive Moderation’s detection suite, were employed for analysis. The tools assigned a 99 percent confidence level to the hypothesis that the latter audio segments were AI-generated, corroborating manual observations.
- Ukrainian government says video’s fake
On March 4, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) debunked the video.
- Rubio and Musk deny the claims
Verdict：
AI-generated.
The incident involves AI-generated audio forgery, where the first segment uses authentic CNN interview footage and audio, while the latter part fabricates Marco Rubio’s voice to produce false policy statements.
