The Arizona Agenda, a newsletter that covers state politics, created a video using artificial intelligence to manipulate footage and make it seem as if Kari Lake was endorsing its coverage. The video showcased AI’s capabilities to create convincing videos that could blur the line between reality and fiction.
Stan Barnes, president of Copper State Consulting Group, told local media outlet AZFamily, “I think the Arizona Agenda, the media outlet that put that video into the public space, did everyone a favor.”
The video shows Lake’s AI counterpart appearing to support the Arizona Agenda. She also talks about the impact of AI on future elections.
The goal of making the video, according to its creators, was to demonstrate how easy it is to make fake content with AI and to highlight the challenges this brings, especially when it comes to telling the difference between real and fake videos around important events like elections.
Understanding how artificial intelligence creates these fake videos can help people notice the small details.
“Now that you know this is a deep fake, you’re probably catching a bunch of little inconsistencies that you can’t quite put your finger on,” deepfake Kari Lake said. “This is a less refined version of me, to help illustrate. My voice is pretty good, right? But my lips don’t quite sync up, my cadence isn’t natural, my skin is a little too smooth, and around the boundaries of my face, you can almost see the little glitches in the Matrix.”
The Arizona Agenda didn’t just create a deepfake; it also made a guide to help people spot fake AI content, showcasing how important it is to be aware of the dangers as AI technology becomes more accessible.
Lake’s team asked for it to be removed, and threatened to take legal action if the video wasn’t taken down. The team said it was created without her permission and used to make money. In response, the Arizona Agenda stressed that its goal was to educate and engage people in a responsible way.
