Elon Musk is once again being criticized after reposting an AI-manipulated presidential ad for Vice President Kamala Harris supposedly mocking herself, the Democrat Party, and President Joe Biden.
The now-viral video was reshared on Musk's official X (formerly Twitter) page last Friday showing Harris's first presidential ad overlayed with a deepfake of her voice claiming that she was only nominated because she was the "ultimate diversity hire."
The video also called Biden, who earlier stepped down for candidacy in this coming Presidential Elections, a "senile" following his debate with Republican nominee Donald Trump last month.
This is amazing 😂
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 26, 2024
pic.twitter.com/KpnBKGUUwn
Musk's post quickly gained over 126.5 million views as many users accused the X owner of "blatant election interference" for the AI-manipulated ad as per the Federal Communication Commission guidelines.
Elon Musk's AI-Manipulated Post Evades X's Policies
Coincidentally, the post did not receive any "manipulated media" label, a new platform label that has since popped up after supposed Twitter API leaks show several "protected users" free from consequence on the platform.
Included in the whitelisted users are Musk, Trump, and several right-wing accounts that have already been fact-checked before for spreading political misinformation.
In response, Harris's campaign team asserted that it believes that the American people want the "real freedom, opportunity, and security" the Vice President offers over the "fake, manipulated lies" Musk and Trump disseminate.
Musk, who earlier declared support for Trump, has yet to make a statement about the matter.
AI-Fueled Misinformation Surges Ahead of 2024 US Elections
The AI-manipulated ads of Harris were not the first, nor likely the last time, generative AI was involved in powering disinformation online as the 2024 US Presidential Elections loom near.
Earlier in January, Biden's deepfaked voice was reported in New Hampshire telling residents to not vote for the President in the Democrat Party's first major Primary.
The mastermind of the Biden deepfakes later claimed that the AI-generated calls were supposedly made to emphasize the need for regulations on generative AI's application to politics.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has since proposed the introduction of AI tools in political ads to help the commission better regulate the technology ahead of the November voting polls' opening.
