Former president Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis are engaged in a battle over Ai generated images they are using in campaign ads.
Last month, Donald Trump sparked controversy on Twitter when he shared an AI-generated video mocking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign announcement, featuring various guests, including Elon Musk, George Soros, Adolf Hitler, and the devil.
Now, DeSantis is firing back with a campaign ad featuring AI-generated images depicting Trump embracing his longstanding rival, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who reciprocated with a smile. Another image depicted Trump kissing Fauci on the nose.
These images were shared on Twitter as part of a video released by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign, showcasing how the 2024 Republican presidential contenders are utilizing AI-powered social media to blur the lines between fact and fiction.
Donald Trump became a household name by FIRING countless people *on television*
But when it came to Fauci… pic.twitter.com/7Lxwf75NQm
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) June 5, 2023
Responding to the ad, the Trump campaign slammed it as “fake images from a fake campaign for a fake candidate,” drawing a comparison to Ron DeSanctimonious’ mentor, Jeb Bush, and his infamous “please clap” moment.
Freshman Senator JD Vance, a vocal ally of Trump, condemned the use of fake AI images in a tweet, stating, “Smearing Donald Trump with fake AI images is completely unacceptable. I’m not sharing them, but we’re in a new era. Be even more skeptical of what you see on the internet.”
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene echoed Vance’s sentiments and called for the immediate removal of these fake AI campaign ads.
Meanwhile the DeSantis campaign is accusing the Trump team of disseminating misleading content long before the recent social media post, suggesting that they have been consistently sharing fake images and false talking points to tarnish the governor’s reputation.
To date, prominent AI-generated political ads in the United States have only been utilized by Republicans. The National Committee in late April released a 30-second ad, disclosed as entirely AI-generated, employed fabricated images to suggest a catastrophic scenario if President Biden were to be reelected, including a hypothetical invasion of Taiwan by China and the shutdown of San Francisco due to rampant crime.
NIGHTMARE: What if Joe Biden, the weakest president we’ve ever had, is re-elected? pic.twitter.com/b5HvY9GEr0
— GOP (@GOP) April 25, 2023
The future implications of generative AI and its potential for mass misinformation remain uncertain. As AI technology continues to advance in quality, detecting the difference between AI-generated images and real ones may become increasingly challenging.
James O’Brien, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, expressed concerns, stating, “There will come a point when AI systems produce images that are indistinguishable from real ones. At that stage, detection will become nearly impossible.”
