Kamala Harris campaign responds to Elon Musk's fake footage of the Vice President

[Garth Gator]

 

Election season just got more complex, thanks in large part to how realistic deepfakes have gotten. A doctored video mimicking Vice President Kamala Harris’s voice has sparked concern over the power and pitfalls of artificial intelligence, just three months before Election Day. The controversial clip caught wider attention when tech mogul Elon Musk shared it on his social media platform X, neglecting to mention that it was initially intended as parody.

 

The manipulated video features a voice-over swap from a genuine ad Harris released to kick off her campaign. In this version, the Harris impersonator claims, “I, Kamala Harris, am your Democratic candidate for president because Joe Biden finally exposed his senility at the debate.” The voice further dismisses Harris as a “diversity hire,” casting doubts on her competence based on her gender and ethnicity.

 

Despite its parody roots, the video’s ‘Harris for President’ branding and seamlessly integrated authentic clips make the deception eerily believable. 

 

Mia Ehrenberg, speaking for the Harris campaign, condemns the video, stating, “We believe the American people want the real freedom, opportunity, and security Vice President Harris is offering; not the fake, manipulated lies of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.” Her response highlights the ethical dilemma posed by such technology, especially when used to mislead.

 

 

As AI tools advance and become more accessible, a lack of regulations leaves individual states and social media platforms to navigate these murky ethical waters. The pressing question now is how to manage content that skirts the line between satire and deception.

 

 

• https://apnews.com/article/parody-ad-ai-harris-musk-x-misleading-3a5df582f911a808d34f68b766aa3b8e 
• https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/elon-musk-kamala-harris-deepfake-1235069564/ 

 

Image: Sheila Fitzgerald | Dreamstime.com