Trump supporters target African American voters with fake AI images in apparent attempt to sway black vote
4 March 2024, 13:03 | Updated: 4 March 2024, 13:05
AI-generated images of Donald Trump surrounded by black voters have spread across social media in what seems to be an attempt to sway African American voters.
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Some Donald Trump supporters have come online to share AI-generated images of the previous US president with black voters.
In what can be called an effort to encourage black Americans to vote for Trump, several fake images have been circulating the internet, the BBC Panorama programme discovered.
However, the AI images have not been directly linked to Trump's presidential campaign.
One of the images shows Trump sitting with a group of Black men, which may seemingly look real at first glance.
However, upon closer inspection, Trump's hands are distorted - an obvious sign that the image is fake.
According to Panorama, the image came from a satirical social media account that creates AI images of Trump.
The image was then taken on by a Michigan Trump supporter who reposted it with the caption: "What do you think about Trump stopping his motorcade to take pictures with young men that waved him down?"
The digitally created photo was viewed over 1.4 million times on Twitter/X, with many users pointing out Trump's "chicken claw hand".
Although, some social media seemed to believe the image was authentic.
Another AI photo circulating the internet is a photo of Trump with his arms around smiling black women in a festive setting.
The creator of that image is Mark Kaye, a host at a conservative radio station.
He said: "I'm not a photojournalist. I’m not out there taking pictures of what's really happening. I'm a storyteller.
"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," Mark Kaye added.
Trump has attempted to win over the black vote for this years election.
However, he has been heavily criticised after claiming that African American voters were more drawn to him because of his many indictments on criminal charges.
In the last election, Joe Biden was backed by 92 per cent of African American voters, according to Pew Research Centre.
However, it is predicted that the number will drop 71 per cent in six key swing states.
How can I tell if an image is AI-generated?
As AI becomes more sophisticated, telling the difference between what is real and what is not may become increasingly challenging.
However, there are a few telltale signs to differentiate the two.
- Check for distortions in the image - especially hands or extra limbs.
- Look out for warped facial features and overly smooth and shiny skin.
- Nonsensical background text is also a clear indication of AI-generation.
