KUALA LUMPUR: Two Malaysians have staked rival claims to the artificial intelligence-generated image bearing the words "All Eyes on Rafah" which has gone viral with more than 50 million reposts on social media platforms.
The AI image portrays tightly packed rows of tents extending endlessly across a desert terrain, with mountains looming in the background, symbolising thousands of Palestinians who sought refuge there during Israel's ongoing genocide in Palestine.
Zila Abka, a 39-year-old science teacher from Kota Kinabalu, initially shared the image on the Facebook page of Prompters Malaya on Feb 14, according to local news portal Sinar Daily on May 31.
According to National Public Radio (NPR) yesterday, Zila expressed her intention to raise awareness about the Gaza situation and emphasized her role in creating the image.
She mentioned using Microsoft's Image Creator and adding watermarks to signify her authorship before sharing it on Facebook nearly five months ago.
However, another Malaysian, Amirul Shah, a 21-year-old college student from Kuala Lumpur, claimed to have first posted the image on his Instagram account.
Amirul said he had also utilised Microsoft's Image Creator for the AI image but could not recall the specific process.
He told NPR that his motive was to advocate for justice for Palestinians, denying any intention for personal fame.
Zila accused Amirul of appropriating her image, modifying it into an Instagram template that rapidly gained traction across global.
She alleged that Amirul cropped her image above her watermarks and employed AI to expand and reimagine its background.
NPR reported that Amirul blocked their reporter on Instagram upon learning of Zila's allegations.