Last updated on September 2nd, 2025
Editor’s Note
In July 2025, we published a social media post debunking the viral “China’s Drone Man” video, which falsely appeared to show a man taking off with a DJI drone. That initial fact-check has now been consolidated and expanded into this comprehensive report.
Claim:
On June 26, a viral video shows a Chinese man flying with a drone, captioned “China’s Drone Man.” The clip was reposted in multiple languages across platforms such as YouTube and LinkedIn.
Fact Check:
1. Source Analysis:
The original video, posted on Douyin on February 21, 2025, shows a man strapped to a DJI T100 drone, but no actual takeoff occurs.
On June 26, a manipulated takeoff version was uploaded to Chinese platforms without disclosure.
Then later the same day, military influencer on X circulated the video with added captions framing it as evidence of China’s drone capabilities.
2.Visual Red Flags:
Visual flaws after 00:03 include:
Hand Deformation: The man’s hands blur into the ground at 00:05, flail unnaturally like noodles at 00:07–00:08, and split into a rotor-like shape at 00:14 — all common AI video artifacts.
Propeller Count Inconsistency: The drone starts with four propellers, but a fifth appears near the man’s feet at 00:14 — a clear sign of visual inconsistency.
3.AI Detection Results:
From 00:03 onward, we extracted six frames most indicative of AI generation. Detection results showed probabilities ranging from 27.43% to 84.15%. These results likely reflect that the manipulated content was based on real footage.
While AI detection tools can serve as auxiliary reference, systematic verification includes source tracing, audiovisual forensic analysis, identifying key verification points—steps that cannot be omitted. As fact hunters, cross-validation is our essential weapon to ensure no target escapes our pursuit.
4.Evidence of Editing:
At 00:03, a white vehicle appears, disappears behind a building at 00:04, then oddly reappears in its original position—suggesting a splice point between real and AI-generated footage.
Verdict:
The claim that the video shows a Chinese man successfully flying with a drone is false. The video’s first three seconds are authentic, showing a man with a DJI T100 drone strapped to his back. However, footage from 0:03 onward is digitally manipulated to falsely depict takeoff.
This altered clip first appeared on Chinese platforms like Baidu and Weibo without disclosure. It was later repackaged by international influencers with captions linking it to China’s drone technology, turning local disinformation into a global narrative.
Have a questionable video or claim? Submit it to Fact Hunter’s investigation team at [therealfacthunter@outlook.com].
Fact Checker: Li Mengyi
