The White House officials are taking a strong stand against a series of “cheap fake” videos that depict President Biden as confused or wandering, and raise doubts about his mental and physical fitness in the run-up to the election.
Misleadingly cropped or edited videos, without the use of artificial intelligence (AI), are on the rise, highlighting yet another example of how technology can be used deceptively in the upcoming 2024 campaign.
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In recent days, there has been a lot of talk about “cheap fakes” due to a few viral clips featuring Biden. These clips depict him as confused or unaware of his surroundings and have garnered national attention.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) shared a viral clip that shows Joe Biden having difficulty sitting down in a chair during a D-Day ceremony. Critics claimed that the chair didn’t exist, but the clip ends before Biden successfully takes his seat.
During the G7 meeting in Italy, a video clip was captured of President Biden and other world leaders observing a skydiving demonstration. In the clip, Biden appears to wander away from the group before being nudged back by the Italian prime minister. The video has been circulating online in a cropped version.
When taking a closer look, it becomes apparent that Biden was pointing towards a parachutist who had just completed a landing. The incident was heavily featured on the front page of The New York Post, with the headline “Meander in Chief.”
Some media outlets with conservative leanings shared a video clip from a fundraiser that took place on a Saturday, claiming that Biden became paralyzed on stage and had to be escorted away by former President Obama. However, representatives for both Biden and Obama have contested this portrayal.
As the event came to an end, the video captured Obama and Biden bidding farewell to the crowd. Obama then gestured a friendly pat on Biden’s back and took him by the hand as they walked away. An Obama adviser refuted a New York Post headline that suggested Biden had frozen up and required Obama’s assistance off the stage, stating that such an incident never occurred.
During a campaign rally in Racine, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, former President Trump showcased the videos and ridiculed the response of the White House.
According to Trump, “Crooked Joe” and his team are claiming that he is more mentally alert than ever, and they are dismissing the videos of him appearing to shuffle around as “clean fakes.” They argue that the videos have been deceptively edited. However, Trump points out that Joe Biden has made numerous mistakes and cannot go anywhere without making a mistake.
According to Paul Barrett, who is the deputy director and senior research scholar at the New York University Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, even though the “cheap fakes” may not be as convincing as the advanced AI deepfakes, they still pose a significant threat by undermining the trust of voters.
Barrett expressed concern over the impact of misinformation on the public’s perception of truth. He believes that those who spread false information contribute to the growing divide between opposing political views. By blurring the line between fact and fiction, these individuals fuel the fire of partisanship.
According to the expert, the edited videos may not be effective in convincing the Democrats to shift their vote. However, they can serve as a means to strengthen and provide an “artificial fuel” to a false narrative about Biden over a period of time.
Barrett highlighted that the progress in digital technology is causing some unintended consequences, like the blurring of the line between truth and falsehood. Many people are becoming cynical about the possibility of distinguishing between what is true and what is fake.
Many voters have expressed concerns about Joe Biden’s age and cognitive abilities as he campaigns for a second term as President. At 81 years old, he would be 86 at the end of a potential second term. Similarly, Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party, is 78 years old and would be 82 at the conclusion of his potential second term. These concerns regarding the age of both candidates have been consistently reflected in polling data.
According to a recent CBS News/YouGov poll, 50 percent of voters believe that Trump has the necessary mental and cognitive abilities to fulfill his duties as president. In contrast, only 35 percent of voters believe that Biden possesses the same level of mental and cognitive health required for the job.
Conservative accounts and critics of Biden frequently share videos that promote the narrative of him being feeble and prone to confusion.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary, denounced the videos as a deceitful attempt by Republicans to undermine the credibility of the president.
During a press briefing on Monday, Jean-Pierre expressed her views on the Republicans’ approach towards the current political scenario. According to her, the manipulated videos being circulated by the Republicans indicate their desperation and lack of substantial arguments against the President’s performance in office. She further added that instead of acknowledging the President’s legislative accomplishments and his contributions towards the betterment of the American people nationwide, the Republicans are resorting to such tactics which are clearly being done in bad faith.
According to Lisa Gilbert, the executive vice president of Public Citizen, the emergence of AI-generated deepfakes, exemplified by the one that imitated Joe Biden’s voice and discouraged voters from participating in the New Hampshire primary, may be encouraging individuals to utilize manipulated video content as a tactic on a more frequent basis.
Gilbert emphasized that the widespread circulation of misinformation regarding a certain issue is not a new phenomenon. However, the frequent and unsightly nature of such misinformation is being amplified by the increasing use of deepfake technology.
Democrats have been warning about the potential hazards of AI-generated election-related content for months, but the White House has recently pushed back against what they refer to as “cheap fake” videos. Despite these concerns, no new regulations have been implemented by the government yet.
As Election Day approaches, there has been no new guidance set in place regarding the use of AI in campaign content. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has been discussing a rule clarification on this matter for almost a year now. In May, a Senate panel made progress by advancing three AI-related election bills, but there has been no further action taken since then. It remains to be seen if any regulations will be put in place to address the use of AI in campaigns.
Barrett expressed concern about the potential misuse of AI in the context of the “October surprise,” where a convincing false video is released just before an election, depicting a politician in a negative light. He emphasized the difficulty of debunking such videos within a short period of time, ranging from 12 to 36 hours. “The real danger of AI,” he warned, “lies in its ability to create false and demeaning content that can manipulate public opinion and influence election outcomes.”
He added that this could potentially sway people’s decisions on whether or not to vote.
