Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images News / Getty Images
A new BBC report reveals fake AI-generated images of former president Donald Trump posing with Black people are being used to influence Black voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election in November. Reporters found that several Trump-aligned supporters and conservatives created the fabricated pictures, which are circulating quickly on social media.
Trump is looking to court Black voters, which help secured his opponent President Joe Biden's win in 2020. Cliff Albright, who runs Black Voters Matter, told reporters the fabricated images are part of a "very strategic narrative" conservatives are pushing to solicit Black support.
Mark Kaye, who runs a conservative radio show in Florida, admitted he and his team created an AI photo of Trump smiling with several Black people at a holiday party. The image was shared on his Facebook, which has over 1 million followers, and is attached to an article about Trump seeking Black voters.
"I'm not out there taking pictures of what's really happening. I'm a storyteller," Kaye told BBC. "If anybody's voting one way or another because of one photo they see on a Facebook page, that's a problem with that person, not with the post itself."
The international news outlet pointed out that several people in the comment section of his Facebook post believe the picture is real.
"I'm not claiming it is accurate," Kaye continued. "I'm not saying, 'Hey, look, Donald Trump was at this party with all of these African American voters. Look how much they love him!'"
BBC discovered a post on X that falsely claimed an AI-generated image of Trump stopping his motorcade to meet with Black people was real. The creator of the post, who identified himself as a Trump supporter living in Michigan, said the viral fake picture "attracted thousands of wonderful kind-hearted Christian followers" in messages sent to the news outlet.
Allbright said the images often target young Black men, who are more likely to vote for Trump than Black women. Political experts warn the sophistication and rapid advancement of AI technology will bolster disinformation campaigns ahead of the presidential election.
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