BBC Debunks AI-Generated Picture of Donald Trump, Young Michael Jordan Playing Basketball

BBC's Shayan Sardarizadeh debunked a picture of former US President Donald Trump playing basketball with a young Michael Jordan.

This AI-generated picture has triggered discussions regarding the possibilities of contemporary technology and the risk of false information in the digital age.

Shayan Sardarizadeh, a journalist at BBC Verify and actively involved in the fight against misinformation on social media and the internet, stated on Twitter that the photograph showing a youthful Michael Jordan playing basketball with an adult Donald Trump is a fake one, per The Comeback.

Donald Trump's age is among the image's most obvious errors, according to an article in The Big Lead. The basketball legend and the former POTUS are just 17 years apart in age; therefore, at the time of the alleged picture, Trump would have been in his early 20s, while it seems that the Republican leader is much older in the image. The image's basketball is another indicator of manipulation since its pattern doesn't match authentic basketballs.

The picture alone raises concerns about its intent and source. However, it also highlights the more significant problem of AI-generated deepfakes and their potential effects on a variety of fields, including politics.

FEC Takes Action

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has taken action to address possible deepfake use in political advertising leading up to the 2024 election in response to the growing frequency of AI-generated misinformation, according to a PBS report.

The FEC's procedural decision represents a step toward regulating political advertising using AI to manufacture claims or actions by rival candidates. Supporters of this law claim that it would shield voters from deceptive and manipulative information.

In recent years, using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to produce phony photos, films, and audio samples has grown more widespread and sophisticated, making it more straightforward to alter public perception. There have already been examples of AI-generated information being exploited to sway voting in the 2024 presidential election.

For instance, the Republican National Committee published an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated advertisement that depicted a nightmarish future in which President Joe Biden would be re-elected while using plausible but fake graphics to arouse emotions.

Even the Ron DeSantis campaign, the Republican governor of Florida, used AI-generated visuals to bash Donald Trump in a campaign commercial. These incidents highlight the need for more education and regulation to prevent the possible abuse of AI technology in swaying public opinion and spreading false information.

The Threats of AI-Generated Deepfakes

The FEC recently convened a hearing in response to Public Citizen's request for clarification about the applicability of an existing federal statute prohibiting "fraudulent misrepresentation" to AI-generated deepfakes in campaign communications. The agency's decision illustrates its commitment to address the issue, even though it will adopt the regulations after a 60-day period for public comment, which is expected to start soon.

Additionally, SOS America PAC, a political action committee that backs Republican Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, has experimented with generative AI. They developed an AI chatbot that resembled Suarez using a program called VideoAsk.

The FEC has also been encouraged to consider the petition by a group of 50 Democratic congressmen, chaired by House Representative Adam Schiff. They emphasized the difficulties presented by quickly developing AI technology in precisely recognizing phony video and audio content inside campaign commercials.