Life-Like A.I.-Generated Video Makes It Easier to Parody or Mislead About Politics

The widely shared video is an example of how lifelike AI-generated content, which has become easier to create, is used to parody or mislead about politics amid elections.

Musk shares manipulated video of Kamala Harris, raising concerns about AI in politics

Copyright AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File

By AP & Euronews

Published on 29/07/2024 - 13:30 GMT+2•Updated 13:32

A manipulated video has a voice-over mimicking Kamala Harris and including false claims she did not say.

A manipulated video that mimics the voice of US Vice President Kamala Harris has raised concerns about the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to mislead during elections.
The video gained attention after Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared it on his social media platform X on Friday evening without noting it was originally released as a parody.

• Musk has since reposted the video including the original user's caption stating that it is a parody, and adding that "parody is legal in America".

The video uses visuals from a real Harris presidential campaign advertisement but swaps out her voice-over with one that impersonates the likely Democratic presidential nominee.

Mia Ehrenberg, a Harris campaign spokesperson, said in an email to The Associated Press:

“We believe the American people want the real freedom, opportunity and security Vice President Harris is offering; not the fake, manipulated lies of Elon Musk and Donald Trump".

The widely shared video is an example of how lifelike AI-generated content, which has become easier to create, is used to parody or mislead about politics amid elections.
Some users online questioned whether Musk's post might violate X's policies, which say users “may not share synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media that may deceive or confuse people and lead to harm".
The policy has an exception for memes and satire as long as they do not cause "significant confusion about the authenticity of the media".

Musk's first post of the video did not specify it was a parody and only showed the video with the words "This is amazing".

Deepfake claiming Kamala Harris was a sex worker circulating less than a day after her first rally

The tech billionaire endorsed former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, earlier this month.
Neither the YouTuber who posted the video, known as Mr Reagan, nor Musk immediately responded to emailed requests for comment on Sunday.

'Kind of thing we've been warning about'

Two experts specializing in AI-generated media reviewed the fake ad's audio and confirmed that much of it was generated using AI technology.
One of them, University of California, Berkeley, digital forensics expert Hany Farid, said the video shows the power of generative AI and deepfakes.

“The AI-generated voice is very good,” he said in an email. “Even though most people won't believe it is VP Harris' voice, the video is that much more powerful when the words are in her voice."

Deepfakes are spreading in scams and on social media ‘faster than expected’, experts warn

He said generative AI companies that make voice-cloning tools and other AI tools available to the public should do better to ensure their services are not used in ways that could harm people or democracy.

Rob Weissman, co-president of the advocacy group Public Citizen, disagreed with Farid, saying he thought many people would be fooled by the video.

• “I don't think that's obviously a joke,” Weissman said in an interview. 
• “I'm certain that most people looking at it don't assume it's a joke. The quality isn't great, but it's good enough. And precisely because it feeds into preexisting themes that have circulated around her, most people will believe it to be real.”

Weissman, whose organization has advocated for Congress, federal agencies and states to regulate generative AI, said the video is “the kind of thing that we've been warning about".