220: Swifties for Trump (and Other AI Lies)

Did you hear that Taylor Swift is supporting Donald Trump for president? That’s right: last week, the former president shared photos of fans rocking “Swifties for Trump” t-shirts on Truth Social. Trump seemed pleased, replying to his online following of 24 billion people: “I accept.” Yet something seemed off. Just like photos of Trump surrounded by seven-fingered Black Americans smiling on city stoops, these Swiftie endorsement photos were AI generated. As it turns out, AI is playing a more insidious and dangerous role in this year’s election—and in the conspiracy theory industry—than ever. The line between fact and fiction has long been blurred, but we’re entering a new reality where distinguishing between those two might prove impossible. This week, we look at the stakes of the first AI-generated election in America—and wonder how much worse it can get, even in three short months. Show Notes Trump Promotes A.I. Images to Falsely Suggest Taylor Swift Endorsed Him Christian Nationalists Are Opening Private Schools. Taxpayers Are Funding Them. Fake Photos, Real Harm: AOC and the Fight Against AI Porn Propaganda, foreign interference, and generative AI AI Poses Risks to Both Authoritarian and Democratic Politics Election disinformation takes a big leap with AI being used to deceive worldwide B'Tselem report summary: "Welcome to Hell: The Israeli Prison System as Network of Torture Camps", August 2024 B'Tselem report: "Welcome to Hell: The Israeli Prison System as Network of Torture Camps", August 2024 Detention and alleged ill-treatment of detainees from Gaza during Israel-Hamas War  U.S. decries reported sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners after graphic video aired on Israeli TV  US approves sale to Israel of $20 billion weapons package | Reuters  A record share of US electricity comes from zero-carbon sources - but more work is needed  China could exceed renewables generation target of 33% by 2025 | S&P Global Commodity Insights  Israeli Government Pays $2M for AI Influence Campaign Israel-Funded Disinfo Campaign Targets US Lawmakers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices