Politics

Social media plays a key role in American elections. Presidential campaigns are widely spread through tweets, publications, montages, videos… and extremely realistic photos generated by artificial intelligence. A trend that is not without consequences for voters.

Improbable, comical, hilarious, unhealthy or even uncomfortable: images broadcast during the presidential campaign, and generated by AI, only cost a few cents to those who request them. Artificial intelligence researcher at the University of Liège (Belgium), Gilles Louppe, also specifies that "there are subscriptions that are offered by these platforms, which are either monthly or annual subscriptions". He adds: "Subscription fees vary from a few dollars per month to a few hundred dollars for annual subscription."

Currently, these campaigns are supported by PACs, Political Action Committees, a sort of non-profit organization that aims to raise funds for the benefit of candidates and which then reinvests the money in support actions (advertising campaigns, organization of meetings or bombardment on social media). Jérôme Jamin, professor of political science at the University of Liège, emphasizes: "What we often forget is that a PAC in the United States, either puts money in to defend a candidate, or puts money in to discredit another candidate".

Trump married to singer Taylor Swift? Sometimes, these photos are the result of people frustrated or angry with the political system in place, whose objective is to discredit it. The perverse effect? ​​Their realism is such that it leads to a feeling of distrust among future voters. "With Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg, came the creation of the business of false political advertising," concludes Jérôme Jamin.

(MH Manon Pierre - Source: RTL info - Illustration: Unsplash)