Elon Musk’s Deepfake Video Controversy
Billionaire X proprietor Elon Musk faced criticism on Monday for sharing a deepfake video featuring US Vice President Kamala Harris, which tech campaigners stated violated the platform’s personal insurance policies.
The Content of the Deepfake Video
Musk reposted a manipulated Harris campaign video wherein a voiceover mimicking her calls President Joe Biden senile and declares that she doesn’t “know the very first thing about running the country,” adding that as a woman and a person of color, she is the “last diversity hire.”
Original Posting and Musk’s Endorsement
The video was initially posted by an X account linked to conservative podcaster Chris Kohls and labeled a “parody.” However, Musk’s repost on Friday made no such disclosure, stating only: “This is amazing,” along with a laughing emoji.
Impact of Musk’s Repost
Musk’s repost garnered more than 130 million views and comes amid growing alarm over AI-enabled political disinformation ahead of the US presidential election in November.
“We believe the American people want the true freedom, opportunity, and security Vice President Harris is offering; not the fake, manipulated lies of Elon Musk and Donald Trump,” Harris’s presidential campaign stated in an announcement.
Elon Musk’s Influence and Response
With nearly 192 million followers, Musk is a highly influential voice on the platform, previously known as Twitter, which he bought in 2022 in a $44 billion deal. Earlier this month, Musk endorsed Trump in a post on X shortly after the Republican narrowly escaped an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Political Reactions to the Deepfake Video
Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, posted on X that the manipulated Harris video “should be illegal” and that he would soon sign a bill banning such media.
A defiant Musk responded to his post, saying, “parody is legal in America,” while including the original video below it.
Policy Violations and Platform Responsibility
Musk’s repost appeared to violate X’s policies, which prohibit sharing “synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media that may deceive or confuse people and lead to harm.” X did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
“Ignoring the rules of the road (because) he bought the road,” Nora Benavidez, senior counsel at the watchdog Free Press, wrote on X, referring to Musk’s apparent violation of the site’s policies.
Concerns Over AI and Political Disinformation
Disinformation researchers are worried about the rampant misuse of AI technology in a major election year due to proliferating online tools that are cheap and easy to use while lacking adequate guardrails.
AI-generated content—particularly audio, which experts say is difficult to identify—sparked national alarm in January when a fake robocall posing as Biden urged New Hampshire residents not to vote in the state’s primary.
“Platforms play an outsized role in election cycles,” Benavidez wrote. “They must do better.”
