The year is 2025. We’re all supposed to be driving flying cars powered by sustainably-sourced unicorn tears. Instead, we’re arguing about AI-generated audio clips of politicians slagging off tech billionaires. Progress, I guess?
This week’s installment of ‘Things That Should Never Exist, But Do Anyway’ features a deepfake audio recording of US Vice President JD Vance apparently laying into Elon Musk. The audio, which spread faster than a rumour in a Silicon Valley startup, had ‘Vance’ questioning Musk’s American identity and accusing him of meddling in government affairs. You know, the usual Tuesday.
The clip’s authenticity was about as convincing as a politician’s promise, but that didn’t stop it from racking up views and shares. Vance himself quickly took to X (formerly Twitter, still a cesspool) to denounce the audio as a fake, calling it “AI-generated” and hinting at possible defamation. Because in the age of misinformation, a lawsuit is just another form of engagement.
“I’m not surprised this guy doesn’t have the intelligence to recognize this fact,” Vance wrote, presumably referring to Bishop Talbert Swan, who initially shared the clip. The dry wit is strong with this one.
Before Vance’s official statement, his communications director had already poured cold water on the rumour, assuring the public that the voice was “most certainly not” the VP’s. Apparently, even politicians have PR teams to clean up their messes – real or fabricated.
The incident raises some uncomfortable questions. How easily can AI be used to sow discord and spread misinformation? And are we, as a society, equipped to tell the difference between reality and a cleverly-crafted simulation?
The answer, judging by the speed at which this deepfake spread, is a resounding ‘no.’
The good news? Many users deleted the clip after its inauthenticity was revealed, proving that some people still possess a modicum of critical thinking. The bad news? The genie is out of the bottle. Deepfakes are here to stay, and they’re only going to get more sophisticated. Buckle up, folks. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
The most unsettling thing about this whole debacle? The plausibility of the scenario. Would anyone really be surprised if Vance and Musk were embroiled in a public feud? In the current political climate, it’s practically expected. And that, perhaps, is the scariest thing of all.
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