The U.S. Presidential race is intensifying as both U.S. adversaries and candidates themselves are getting involved in disinformation campaigns to influence the election. The latest development includes U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sharing AI-generated deepfakes of Taylor Swift and Elon Musk to boost his campaign.
The deepfakes posted by Trump on his Truth Social platform featured images of young women in “Swifties for Trump” T-shirts and an image of Swift seemingly endorsing Trump, dressed as Uncle Sam. This move by Trump is seen as an attempt to capitalize on Swift’s large fanbase and potentially neutralize any future endorsement she may make for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
In addition to the Swift deepfake, Trump also shared an AI-generated image of Kamala Harris at a communist rally and a deepfake video of himself dancing with Elon Musk, who has endorsed him. These tactics are part of a larger trend where Trump and his supporters are using deepfake technology to target specific voter demographics, such as people of color, in order to sway opinion in their favor.
Experts like Massimo Sterpi, the chair of AI Task Force of Union Internationale des Avocats, warn of the deceptive nature of deepfake content and its potential to mislead voters. Dr. Chase Cunningham also emphasized the need to address the impact of deepfakes on elections, calling them the “new wild card” in the political landscape.
Meanwhile, on the same day as Trump’s deepfake antics, the U.S. intelligence community revealed that Iran was behind cyberattacks aimed at influencing the U.S. presidential election. The agencies pointed out Iran’s efforts to sow discord and undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions through cyber operations targeting sensitive election-related information.
Tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI corroborated the attribution to Iran, highlighting the need for increased resilience from online platforms to counter covert influence operations from adversaries. Despite Iran denying any intention to interfere in the U.S. election, the intelligence agencies remain vigilant in protecting the integrity of the electoral process.
As the U.S. Presidential race continues to unfold, the use of deepfake technology and foreign interference tactics pose significant challenges to ensuring a fair and transparent election process. It is crucial for legislators, tech companies, and the public to remain vigilant against the spread of disinformation and take proactive measures to safeguard the democratic process.