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Trump’s AI claim on Harris rally

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Harris Rally

Former President Donald Trump recently claimed that a photo of a large crowd at a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in Detroit was altered using artificial intelligence (AI). Despite clear evidence to the contrary, including photos and videos captured by attendees and media organizations, Trump asserted that the crowd was fabricated. Governor Walz criticized Trump’s false claim at a fundraiser in Denver on Wednesday.

I assure you, in Detroit, that wasn’t AI, and I’ll also assure you that every one of the ballots they’re going to cast will not be AI,” Walz told the crowd, prompting cheers. The Harris campaign confirmed that the disputed photo, which showed thousands of supporters waiting for the candidates’ arrival, was taken by a campaign staffer and was not manipulated by AI. Experts, such as Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in forensic images, examined the photo and found no evidence of AI manipulation.

This is an example where just the mere existence of deepfakes and generative AI allows people to deny reality,” Farid said.

Trump’s false AI manipulation claim

“You don’t like the fact that Harris-Walz had such a big crowd?

No problem. Photos are fake. Videos are fake. Everything’s fake.”

 

Senator Bernie Sanders noted that the claims about the photo’s authenticity create doubt among the electorate. “If you can convince your supporters that thousands of people who attended a televised rally do not exist, it will not be hard to convince them that the election returns in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and elsewhere are ‘fake’ and ‘fraudulent,'” he said. The debate over the photo’s authenticity highlights the broader issue of trust in facts and evidence in a democratic society.

UCLA law professor Rick Hasen commented, “If voters tend to disbelieve anything they see and think that whatever they see might be faked, then they’re going to distrust their own instincts as to what the truth is to be able to make competent decisions.

As misinformation continues circulating, experts warn that it becomes increasingly challenging for the public to discern reality from fabrication, threatening the democratic process by sowing doubt and confusion among the electorate.

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Noah Nguyen

Noah Nguyen is a multi-talented developer who brings a unique perspective to his craft. Initially a creative writing professor, he turned to Dev work for the ability to work remotely. He now lives in Seattle, spending time hiking and drinking craft beer with his fiancee.
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