Trump supporters target black voters with fake AI images

Occurred: March 2024

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Deepfake images appearing to show US Presidential candidate Donald Trump with Black supporters prompted accusations of electoral manipulation.

One image shared on Facebook by conservative radio show host Mark Kaye showed Trump with his arms around a group of Black women. In another, a user identified as 'Shaggy' placed Trump in front of a house with a group of young Black men. 

The intention was to give the impression that these people support the former president's run for the White House. The Black vote, especially male Black votes, was seen as critical to Joe Biden's 2020 Presidential victory.

The findings drew accusations of deliberate manipulation of Black voters by Trump supporters. It was also seen to demonstrate the ease with which deepfakes can be created and shared, and the lack of US federal legislation governing deepfake images.

Databank

Operator: Mark Kaye
Developer:  
Country: USA
Sector: Politics
Purpose: Scare/confuse/destabilise
Technology: Deepfake - image; Neural network; Deep learning; Machine learning
Issue: Ethics/values; Mis/disinformation
Transparency: Marketing