NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — Concerns about the use of AI in politics are growing following a recent incident in which a video manipulated to mimic Vice President Kamala Harris’s voice suggested she had made statements she never made. This development comes just months before the general election.
The video became a topic of widespread discussion when Elon Musk shared it on his social media platform, X, on Friday night. Initially, the video was not labeled as a parody, causing confusion among viewers.
On Sunday night, Musk clarified that the video was intended as satire, noting that the original creator had labeled it as such on his profile. He humorously noted that parody is not a criminal act.
The controversial video included footage from a legitimate Harris campaign ad released last week, in which she announced her potential candidacy. However, it featured a convincingly lifelike AI-generated voice replacing Harris, making controversial and disparaging comments.
Mia Ehrenberg, a representative for Harris’s campaign, told The Associated Press in an email that the campaign is focused on spreading the truth about freedom, opportunity and security, as opposed to the manipulations seen in the video shared by Musk and supported by Donald Trump.
The incident highlights the broader issue of how AI-generated content is increasingly being used for both entertainment and political engagement. The ease of access to high-quality AI tools without meaningful regulatory oversight is a growing concern as the U.S. heads into an election cycle.
The original poster, known on YouTube and X as Reagan, warned that the video was satirical. However, Musk’s initial vague endorsement, which has garnered more than 130 million views, did not specify the manipulated nature of the video until later, leading to discussions about the platform’s policies on sharing potentially misleading media.
Social media platform X allows exceptions for memes and satire, as long as they do not cause significant confusion about the authenticity of the content. This policy is under scrutiny as users debate the implications of sharing such content without clear labels.
UC Berkeley computer forensics expert Hany Farid commented on the technical quality of AI-generated speech, noting its potential impact despite its clear artificial origin. He stressed the need for tighter controls on the public availability of AI tools to prevent misuse that could harm individuals or democratic processes.
Public Citizen’s Rob Weissman highlighted the video’s credibility and potential influence, arguing for tighter regulation of generative AI technologies, especially in political contexts.
The incident reflects ongoing challenges and debates over regulating AI in politics, with states and federal agencies slow to develop comprehensive policies. This lack of regulation continues to allow the proliferation of AI-manipulated media in political campaigns, raising ethical and legal questions about their use and impact on public opinion and the integrity of elections.
