eWEEK content material and product suggestions are editorially unbiased. We might earn a living whenever you click on on hyperlinks to our companions. Learn More.
A deepfake video of U.S. President Donald Trump kissing Elon Musk’s ft was aired throughout tv screens contained in the Washington headquarters of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The video, which included an on-screen message studying “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING,” has raised considerations over safety vulnerabilities and the misuse of generative AI.
While the video is clearly AI-generated, questions stay in regards to the id of the prankster, the generative AI instruments used to create it, and the way the perpetrator managed to hijack the division’s tv techniques.
Reuters reported that division spokesperson Kasey Lovett mentioned in an e mail, “Another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources. Appropriate action will be taken for all involved.”
Coincidental timing of Trump-Musk prank and RTO mandate?
The incident would possibly look like a random act of civil disobedience; nonetheless, the timing means that this was a deliberate and well-executed prank fastidiously staged on a really particular date for optimum influence.
The hijacking occurred on Monday, Feb. 24, which was the identical day a nationwide return-to-work mandate took impact for federal staff. With no instant solution to hint the supply of the unauthorized broadcast, workers had no selection however to manually disconnect screens to cease the video from taking part in.
A Reuters/IPSOS ballot launched only a day earlier than the incident discovered that solely 42% of Americans surveyed help the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and its latest initiatives.
Spotting AI-generated deepfakes
Observers shortly noticed a obtrusive flaw within the video: Musk appeared to have two left ft, a typical telltale signal of AI-generated content material. But that didn’t cease the video from spreading quickly throughout main social media platforms and information shops.
While this explicit deepfake might have been supposed as a prank, it highlights some severe considerations with AI and, specifically, deepfake content material. Experts have but to find out which AI instruments have been used to create the video, however the growing accessibility of contemporary AI software program signifies that practically anybody can create their very own deepfakes with the very best AI video mills.
While the Trump-Musk video is comparatively straightforward to debunk, extra subtle deepfakes have gotten tougher to detect. Most deepfakes have some telltale indicators of AI utilization — together with distorted facial options, unnatural actions, or inconsistent hand and foot placement — however because the expertise improves, distinguishing fakes from actuality will possible turn into more and more difficult.
