(USNewsMag.com) – A series of images depicting former President Donald Trump posing alongside supposed black voters sparked outrage from voters online who questioned the origins of the pictures and the motivations behind them after they were discovered to have been generated by AI (artificial intelligence).
The suspicious images circulating showing Trump posing with alleged black voters went viral over the weekend and were discovered to be fake by BBC Panorama, which reported that the images could not be directly linked to the former president’s campaign. One of the telltale signs of an AI-generated image is certain discrepancies in detail, such as uncharacteristically smooth skin or deformed fingers.
After the story came out, a conservative radio host based in Florida admitted to generating one of the pictures using AI. The host, Mark Kaye, told the BBC that they did not intend for the image to manipulate others into a particular view of Trump’s support among black voters. Kaye added that anyone who votes based on “one photo they see” online, then the person is the problem rather than “the post itself.”
One of the images, which depicted Trump on a porch posing with a group of African-American men, was allegedly created by a supporter online who goes by “Shaggy,” but would not speak with journalists. The BBC said he later reached out and claimed his social media posts attracted thousands of “Christian followers.”
Critics of the former president jumped on the images, which they called “shameful” and accused Trump and his supporters of being racist by using black people in propaganda to appear more popular among black voters.
AI has become a major topic of concern among lawmakers and everyday people alike, as the systems are growing more prevalent in various ways throughout society, from marketing and design, to “deep fakes” and ChatGPT. Of particular concern is how AI systems could be used to influence voters during the upcoming presidential election.
Last year, a group of tech leaders published a joint letter calling for a pause in AI development until proper guidelines and failsafe could be put in place, warning that the technology could cause various problems down the line. That letter has now amassed over 33,700 signatures, including SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
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