By: Rajini KG
December 11 2023
Digital altered videos shared to show Narayana Murthy endorsed investing platform 'Quantum AI'
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Screenshots from the digitally altered clips. (Source: Facebook/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)
Fact-Check
The Verdict False
Clips of Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy speaking at two different events were altered to make it appear he endorsed an investing platform.
Claim ID d8da9b02
What's the claim?
Two videos of billionaire businessman and Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy promoting his supposed investing platform 'Quantum AI' are being shared on social media.
Posting one of the videos, a user on Facebook wrote, "N. R. Narayana Murthy is a revered figure in the Indian business landscape. His unwavering commitment to progress and high standards sets an example for many. He's a source of immense pride for every Indian. A deep bow of respect to the honorable Mr. Murthy (sic)."
The audio and subtitles of this video show Murthy purportedly saying he and Elon Musk (Tesla and SpaceX chief and owner of X) are working on a project called 'Quantum AI.' Murthy adds that it is the world's first quantum computing software developed by their teams, which will help earn profit through stock marketing. An archived version of the Facebook post can be viewed here.
A similar video shows Murthy asserting that the platform's success rate is 94 percent. (Archived here).
Screenshots of posts sharing the viral video. (Source: Facebook/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)
However, the claim is false. The two videos are digitally altered, and the audio bit about 'Qauntam AI' has been superimposed on them.
What did we find?
Video 1
A reverse image search on one of the keyframes of the video led us to the YouTube channel of Moneycontrol, a financial news website in India. The video was a livestream titled "Moneycontrol Startup Conclave 2023 Live – Fueling Innovation In Times Of Transformation," and was shared on July 7, 2023.
Around the nine-hour mark, we see Murthy sharing the stage with his son and founder of software development firm 'Soroco' Rohan Murthy. At the event, he speaks about his life lessons and business experience as the co-founder of Infosys. He talks about the leadership and organizational structure, how he led his colleagues at Infosys, and how a France tour shaped his professional life. Nowhere in the video does he mention anything about AI (artificial intelligence) or about 'Quantum AI.'
CNBC-TV18 also posted the video of Narayana Murthy's conversation with his son Rohan Murthy at the Moneycontrol Startup Conclave on July 9, 2023.
Video 2
The microphone that Murthy is holding in the viral video reads 'bt MINDRUSH.' Taking this clue, we found that the video is from Business Today's 'Mindrush,' a platform where entrepreneurs and senior leaders share their thoughts on the business and corporate world. The event was held at The Oberoi in New Delhi on June 24, 2022.
Business Today's YouTube channel posted the longer version of Narayana Murthy's video on June 24, 2022. Murthy talked about issues faced by entrepreneurs like the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, investment, and lack of market research mechanisms. He also shared some advice for the new entrepreneurs who started their businesses after COVID-19. He doesn't talk about 'Quantum AI' at any point in the video.
The audio in the first video doesn't match Murthy's lip movements, and they appear very unnatural in the second video. Additionally, there are no news reports about him developing an investing platform named 'Quantum AI.'
Clearly, both videos are digitally altered to portray that the billionaire is endorsing 'Quantum AI.'
The verdict
Videos of Narayana Murthy speaking at two different business events were altered to add fake audio to make it appear that the Infosys co-founder endorsed an investing platform named 'Quantum AI.' Therefore, we mark this claim false.