Donald Trump's supporters are now encouraging Black voters to choose their candidate by sharing fake AI-generated images of the former POTUS with people of color.
With months away before the U.S. presidential election, which is scheduled in November, supporters of presidential candidates are doing their best to encourage more voters to choose their sides.
But, is the AI-image-sharing tactic linked to Donald Trump's official presidential campaign team? Here's what Americans need to know.
Donald Trump Supporters Encourage Black Voters by Sharing Fake AI Images
Warren Simmons wears a "Black Voters Matter" T-shirt as he ushers voters at the Royal Missionary Baptist Church polling location in North Charleston, South Carolina, on February 3, 2024, during the democratic primary.
To clarify things, there's no evidence proving that the AI-generated images are shared or linked to Trump's official campaign team.
These deepfakes portraying the former American leader with Black people were discovered by BBC Panorama. Black Voters Matter group's co-founder explained that these manipulated photos are pushing a strategic narrative that shows Trump's popularity among Black voters.
According to The Guardian's latest report, one of the AI images' creators is Mark Kaye: a Florida-based conservative radio show host.
He clarified that he wasn't out there taking pictures of what was really happening. The radio host explained that he's a storyteller and doesn't claim that the photos he shares are accurate.
"I'm not saying, 'Hey, look, Donald Trump was at this party with all of these African American voters. Look how much they love him,'" said Kaye.
Importance of Black Voters for Trump
Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump speaks in the library at Mar-a-Lago on March 4, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Trump can appear on this year's presidential ballot in all states.
Ever since Donald Trump decided to run for the presidency again, he has been making efforts to court Black voters. Political analysts said that this is because Black voters were key to Joe Biden's victory in the U.S. presidential election 2020.
Although the AI-generated images aren't proven to be linked to Donald Trump's campaign efforts, these deepfakes certainly benefit him.
A taxi driver named Douglas (in Atlanta) shared that he originally believed one of the deepfakes before sources confirmed that they were fake.
He explained that seeing these images bolstered his view that the former POTUS was supportive of the Black Community. Unfortunately, this is a negative campaign since it capitalizes on fooling Americans using fake photos.
"Well, that's the thing about social media. It's so easy to fool people," said Douglas.
The use of AI tools in elections is no longer new. Some use artificial intelligence to help their preferred candidates while others are leveraging AI to discourage people from voting for their candidates' rivals.
This is why it is important to be more vigilant when sharing images and videos about the U.S. election.
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