Experts have identified AI-generated deep fakes being utilized in an attack commercial by the campaign supporting Ron DeSantis as the Republican presidential contender in 2024.
The "DeSantis War Room" Twitter account published a video on Monday, June 5, underlining Trump's support for former White House top medical adviser and pivotal role in formulating the US response to COVID-19, Anthony Fauci.
The attack ad aims to broaden support for DeSantis by presenting Trump and Fauci as close allies. Notably, Fauci has become a disliked figure in right-wing politics, especially within the anti-vax movement.
In addition to a montage of six photos of Trump and Fauci together, the video has actual footage of Trump talking about Fauci. Three of the six images are apparently computer-generated, showing Trump hugging Fauci.
Donald Trump became a household name by FIRING countless people *on television*
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) June 5, 2023
But when it came to Fauci... pic.twitter.com/7Lxwf75NQm
Three of the Six Photos Are Allegedly AI-Generated
AFP news agency was the first to notice that some pictures in the collage were fake. None of the three fake photos turn up in reverse image searches.
There are also other clues that indicate they were made by computers. Glossy and blurry textures are most notably in the two men's hair and skin, physically implausible stances, and an incorrect replica of the White House press briefing room and its furnishings are all red flags.
Hany Farid, a professor of image forensics at the University of California, Berkeley, told the AFP that the photographs were highly likely to be false since they did not appear in reverse image searches.
The same conclusion was reached by digital media forensics specialist Siwei Lyu, who also noticed discrepancies in all three photos. "I am pretty sure these are not real photos," Lyu told the AFP.
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Deepfakes Are Becoming More Prevalent in US Politics Due to AI Applications
Christina Pushaw, a political adviser to DeSantis, founded the Twitter account "De Santis War Room" in August 2022. And its use of AI demonstrates the growing acceptance of deepfakes in US politics, according to The Verge.
On Twitter earlier this year, Donald Trump posted a deep fake audio clip making fun of DeSantis' campaign announcement and an AI-generated picture of himself praying. The Republican National Committee released an attack ad using AI-generated visuals after Joe Biden declared his intention to seek reelection in 2024.
Never Back Down PAC spokesman Matt Wolking told The Verge, "No campaign has pushed more misleading deep fakes, false photoshops, and outright fabrications than the Trump campaign. It is 100% true that Donald Trump empowered and embraced Fauci - he even gave him a presidential commendation."
Wolking dodged the question of whether or not the photos were AI-generated by stating, "You'll have to ask the campaign."
The Never Back Down PAC is an organization that supports DeSantis' candidacy.
