Bees attracted to E-85 fuel? Viral video debunked as AI creation

A viral social media video claiming to show a swarm of honeybees gathering around a motorcycle while it is being filled with E-85 petrol has been debunked, with investigators confirming that the clip was created using artificial intelligence. 

The video began circulating online soon after the launch of India’s first E-85 fuel dispenser at an Indian Oil outlet in New Delhi on June 5. The fuel, which consists of approximately 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol, is designed specifically for flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on high-ethanol blends. 

Social media users widely shared the footage with claims that the ethanol content in the fuel was attracting bees because it is derived from agricultural products such as sugarcane and corn. In the clip, dozens of bees appear to hover around the motorcycle’s fuel tank and the dispensing nozzle, fuelling speculation about the properties of E-85 fuel. 

However, according to an investigation by India Today Fact Check, the video is not authentic. The fact-check team conducted a reverse image search and located a longer, higher-resolution version of the clip. A frame-by-frame examination reportedly revealed several visual anomalies, including distorted Hindi text around the Indian Oil branding and irregular markings on the fuel dispenser, features often associated with AI-generated content. 

The investigators also identified a visible Google Gemini watermark in the lower-left corner of the video, indicating that the content had likely been created using AI tools. To further verify their findings, the clip was analysed using SynthID, Google’s detection system for AI-generated media. According to India Today Fact Check, the analysis confirmed that the viral footage was synthetic. 

The fact check comes amid growing concerns over the spread of AI-generated misinformation, particularly as realistic-looking videos become easier to create and circulate on social media platforms. Experts have repeatedly advised users to verify sensational or unusual claims through credible sources before sharing them. 

While ethanol is produced from plant-based feedstocks, there is no established scientific evidence to suggest that E-85 fuel naturally attracts swarms of bees in the manner depicted by the viral clip.