Report: Trump Backers Using AI Images to Garner Black Support

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • BBC has reported discovering dozens of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated photos of Black voters and former Pres. Donald Trump — the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination — that are reportedly being used to drum up support from the Black community.1
  • One supporter who posted a deepfake is conservative radio host Mark Kaye, whose AI photo of Trump smiling with his arms around a group of Black women was shared on Facebook. Kaye said he's 'not claiming it's accurate' and if anyone votes based on the image that's their issue.1
  • None of the deepfakes have been connected to Trump's campaign, but Black Voters Matter, a group that encourages Black voter participation, called them part of a 'strategic narrative' being pushed by Trump's supporters.2
  • One of the images is unrealistic because AI, which is notoriously faulty at creating human hands, made Trump's hands look awkward and created one person missing a ring finger.3
  • Trump's campaign has increased its attempt to reach Black voters, with the former president last week telling a crowd that his 91 criminal charges have made him more popular with Black people because 'they see what's happening to me happens to them.'4

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Independent, 3Gizmodo and 4USA Today.

Narratives

  • Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by People of Color in Tech. The use of deepfakes to deceive voters is an alarming trend, but it's particularly heinous that Trump supporters are targeting Black voters who wouldn't otherwise be inclined to vote for him. Absent legislation or stricter policies on social media platforms to limit these images, voters will need to be more diligent when consuming campaign information.
  • Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by BizPac Review. Trump is making headway with Black voters, so of course the mainstream media and left-leaning organizations are losing their minds over these images — without it being clear that they're actually influencing anyone. Trump's policies are what's improving his support from people of color, and to flip out over some deepfakes is bad faith coming from media outlets who've been making up stories about Trump for years.

Predictions