In a troubling development amid rising political misinformation, X’s CEO has shared a manipulated video that targets Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The reposted video features an AI-generated voice of Vice President Harris branding herself as the “ultimate diversity hire,” drawing widespread attention and controversy.
The modified video, originally created by a right-wing YouTuber, distorts Harris’ “We Choose Freedom” campaign message, accusing President Joe Biden of being “senile” and a “deep state puppet.” The satirical version insinuates that Harris believes her identity shields her from criticism.
Although labeled as a “parody” by its creator, the repost from Musk lacked any disclaimer about the video’s misleading content. The video has amassed over 166 million views, with Musk’s reaction emphasizing its sensational nature.
Critics have highlighted that the video breaches X’s own policies against “synthetic, manipulated or out-of-context media,” which aim to prevent deceptive content that can mislead the public.
The emergence of political deepfakes has surged since President Biden announced his plans to step back from the 2024 presidential race. As the election draws nearer, the prevalence of such videos raises serious concerns about their impact on public discourse. While platforms like TikTok claim to be addressing these challenges, X has yet to implement significant measures against such misinformation.
Despite facing a 53 percent decline in revenue compared to last year, Musk seems content with how X is navigating these issues, reinforcing his commitment to maintaining the platform as a “free speech” arena, even in the face of rising misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Topics
Artificial Intelligence
Politics
