Elon Musk Faces Backlash for Deepfake Video of Kamala Harris
Elon Musk, CEO of X, has come under scrutiny for reposting a manipulated video of Vice President Kamala Harris on his platform. The video, originally uploaded by user @MrReaganUSA, features AI-generated audio mimicking Harris' voice and making derogatory statements about President Joe Biden and her own abilities. The original post included a disclaimer labeling it as a "parody," but Musk's repost did not contain such a disclosure. The video has garnered significant attention, with millions of views.
The reposted video appears to violate X's policies, which prohibit the sharing of "synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media that may deceive or confuse people and lead to harm." In April 2023, X updated its policy to require that significantly altered or fabricated content must be labeled or removed. Critics, including internet personality Alex Howard, have pointed out this potential violation. This incident also occurs in the context of ongoing discussions about regulating deceptive AI-generated campaign advertisements, with the Federal Election Commission recently approving a rulemaking petition to clarify the law in this area.
