An AI-manipulated image of a woman arrested amidst the unrest in Minnesota after recent civilian killings by ICE was posted on the White House’s official X account. It was made to appear as if she was crying, while in the original image, she had a neutral expression.
Claes de Vreese, our lab director, has discussed this incident with both RTL Nieuws and France24, highlighting how, despite the US administration already being known to use AI as part of public communications, the blatant modification shows a further disregard for the truth and an attempt to change narratives. The evolution in the performance of AI image models is facilitating realistic pieces of disinformation like this one to be quickly and easily created and shared online. The greatest risk is that, especially due to the more dramatic nature of the edit, many might not be aware of the original image despite attempts at fact checking.
See the articles below for the full story (in Dutch and French, respectively).
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