(Phnom Penh): The Nation, one of Thailand’s major news outlets, has abandoned journalistic ethics by publishing an AI-generated image that misled the public.

The AI-generated image published by The Nation depicted a Cambodian civilian from Prey Chan village who was injured in the Thai military’s shooting on 12 November 2025 and was being treated in the hospital. In the real photo, the injured man lying on the hospital bed showed no sign of smiling, but the image published by The Nation was altered using AI to make him appear to be smiling.

After the incident in which Thai soldiers opened fire on Cambodian civilians, some social media users in Thailand attempted to manipulate images of injured Cambodian civilians using AI to make them appear as though they were smiling. By doing this, they aimed to mislead public opinion and suggest that the injuries were staged.

These actions by Thai citizens who edited and circulated such content on social media reflect extremism and a lack of decency. However, for The Nation, it amounts to a serious professional failure to republish such content without thoroughly verifying its authenticity beforehand. This also reflects a lack of responsibility toward journalistic standards.

Publishing false information, images, or videos is a major violation of media ethics, and many countries are working together to combat the spread of misinformation.

The Nation’s dissemination of AI-generated images severely undermines journalistic ethics and disregards global efforts to fight fake news. Such actions damage credibility, intensify public confusion in Thailand, and further inflame tensions between Cambodia and Thailand at a time when both countries are facing border issues.
=FRESH NEWS