Artificial Intelligence in Political Campaigns
If you thought your inbox was filled with garbage email spam, wait until you see what’s happening in political campaigns today! AI-generated images are making waves, and not always for the right reasons. Recent reports highlight that Ron DeSantis’s campaign may have crossed a line by using these artificially crafted visuals to discredit Donald Trump.
Deepfakes and Their Impact
Deepfakes, which are essentially disturbingly realistic yet fake media, have infiltrated political ads like AI into your grandma’s new smartphone. On June 5, DeSantis’s campaign tweeted a contentious video showing Trump cozying up to Anthony Fauci – a man not exactly known for winning hearts in Republican circles. But instead of just showing the former president’s real images, they decided to garnish it with some questionable AI artifacts showing Trump and Fauci in endearingly awkward situations. Hugging, kissing… it’s all been too much!
Twitter Calls Out the Fakes
Twitter stepped in, pointing out that the images had the ugly fingerprints of AI fabrication all over them. Their Community Notes flagged it for all the Twitterverse to see. It almost felt like watching your friend get publicly called out on social media for their terrible haircut choice… but on a much larger scale.
The GOP and Its AI Usage
But hold on! This isn’t a one-sided affair – it’s more like a political AI bouncy castle! Trump’s team decided to play nice (or not) by using AI to bring DeSantis down a peg after his campaign launch. The result? A deepfake audio skit featuring a parade of characters from DeSantis to Hitler. It seems the AI landscape in politics is like a public swimming pool: everyone’s in, and no one knows how to swim!
Global Trends in AI-Driven Campaigns
This isn’t just a U.S. phenomenon either. Around the globe, political parties are fanning the flames of discontent with AI visuals. In New Zealand, the National Party swung for the fences with images attacking the ruling Labour Party, using AI-generated visuals that were equal parts ludicrous and chilling. From Polynesian hospital staff to dubious scenarios involving masked felons, the line between reality and dystopia blurs further every day in politics.
Final Thoughts
As we dive headlong into this brave new world of politics, one thing is clear: AI isn’t going anywhere – and it’s probably going to keep stirring the pot. The question remains: as citizens, are we savvy enough to sift through the virtual smoke and mirrors to find the truth?
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