Elon Musk shared manipulated Kamala Harris video on Twitter
Vice President Kamala Harris campaign condemned Musk for sharing the video
Video was originally posted by @MrReaganUSA account as parody
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has found himself in hot water after sharing a manipulated video of Vice President Kamala Harris on his Twitter account. The video, which was originally posted by the @MrReaganUSA account and labeled as a parody, features an AI-generated voice mimicking Harris's voice to criticize her campaign and President Joe Biden. However, Musk did not include a disclaimer when he reposted the video on his own account, leading some to accuse him of spreading manipulated lies.
The Harris campaign has condemned Musk for sharing the video, with a spokesperson stating that
Elon Musk shared a fake, AI-generated video of Kamala Harris on Twitter, where she falsely claimed to be the Democratic nominee because Joe Biden showed signs of senility.
The Harris campaign criticized Musk for sharing the manipulated video and called it ‘manipulated lies’.
Elon Musk’s tweet received over 100 million views, but it didn’t clarify that the content was a parody.
Accuracy
Elon Musk reposted a digitally manipulated campaign video for Vice President Kamala Harris on X, a social media platform he owns.
Elon Musk described Vice President Harris as ‘extinctionist’ and warned of a ‘de facto holocaust for all of humanity’ on X.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of Elon Musk celebrating a fake AI-generated video of Kamala Harris. The author does not provide any context or information about the potential motivations behind Musk sharing the video or any opposing viewpoints. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through phrases such as 'ramped up concerns over the spread of fake, AI-generated videos during the heated election campaign' and 'manipulating a voice in an ad like this one should be illegal.'
The article only reports on Elon Musk celebrating a fake, AI-generated video of Kamala Harris without providing any context or opposing viewpoints.
The author uses emotional manipulation by stating 'ramped up concerns over the spread of fake, AI-generated videos during the heated election campaign' and 'manipulating a voice in an ad like this one should be illegal.'
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains an appeal to authority and inflammatory rhetoric. It mentions concerns over the spread of fake AI-generated videos during the election campaign and quotes California Governor Gavin Newsom's inflammatory statement about manipulating voices in ads should be illegal. Additionally, it includes a quote from Harris' campaign spokesperson that criticizes Elon Musk and Donald Trump as lying manipulators. However, no fallacies are committed by the author himself.
California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X that
Bias
(80%)
The author, Max Goldbart, uses language that depicts the fake video of Kamala Harris as 'manipulated lies' and 'deepfakes'. This language implies a negative bias towards Elon Musk for sharing the video.
manipulating a voice in an ‘ad’ like this one should be illegal.
] The American people want the real freedom, opportunity and security Vice President Harris is offering; not the fake, manipulated lies of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.[/
Elon Musk reposted a digitally manipulated campaign video for Vice President Kamala Harris on X, a social media platform he owns.
Musk described Vice President Harris as ‘extinctionist’ and warned of a ‘de facto holocaust for all of humanity’ on X.
Accuracy
Elon Musk described Vice President Harris as ‘extinctionist’ and warned of a ‘de facto holocaust for all of humanity’ on X.
Elon Musk is likely to offer significant support for a new pro-Trump super PAC created by his closest friends.
Deception
(0%)
The author of this article, Steve Benen, makes editorializing statements and uses emotional manipulation by implying that Elon Musk's actions are deceptive and harmful. He also engages in selective reporting by only mentioning the negative aspects of Musk's actions without providing any context or counterarguments.
What's more, the Times reported a couple of weeks ago that Musk was 'Likely' to offer 'significant' support for a new pro-Trump super PAC created by Musk’s closest friends.
Musk later denied the accuracy of the reporting, though Trump personally suggested that Musk is, in fact, investing $45 million a month in support of his candidacy.
The New York Times reported: Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of the social media platform X, reposted an edited campaign video for Vice President Kamala Harris that appears to have been digitally manipulated to change the spot's voice-over in a deceptive manner.
Fallacies
(75%)
The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting The Washington Post and The New York Times in describing the 2019 Social Media Summit as a gathering of right-wing media gadflies complaining about made-up conspiracies. However, the author also includes his own opinion that 'nothing ever came of such efforts' which is not based on evidence presented in the article. Additionally, there are instances of inflammatory rhetoric used by the author when describing Musk's actions as 'deceptive manipulation', 'a de facto holocaust for all of humanity!', and 'conspiratorial billionaire'. These statements go beyond reporting facts and expressing an emotional response.
The Republican and his allies presented no evidence to substantiate their theories, but he nevertheless complained incessantly about tech CEOs and their ‘terrible bias’ against those on the right.
What’s more, Musk, using the platform he now owns, described the likely Democratic presidential nominee as ‘Can extinctionist’, adding that the effects of Harris’ political philosophy would lead to ‘a de facto holocaust for all of humanity!'
Musk later denied the accuracy of the reporting, though Trump personally suggested that Musk is, in fact, investing $45 million a month in support of his candidacy.
Bias
(0%)
The author expresses a clear political bias against Elon Musk and his involvement in politics. The author also uses language that depicts Musk as an extremist and someone who is promoting deceptive content.
, Musk later denied the accuracy of the reporting, though Trump personally suggested that Musk is, in fact, investing $45 million a month in support of his candidacy.
the conspiratorial billionaire
What’s more,
> What’s more, the Times reported a couple of weeks ago that Musk was ‘Likely’ to offer ‘significant’ support for a new pro-Trump super PAC created by Musk’s closest friends. The Wall Street Journal had a related report, noting that the conspiratorial billionaire is prepared to spend ‘around $45 million a month’ in the hopes of putting the Republican back in power.
Musk reposted a doctored Harris campaign video on his X account with the words ‘this is amazing’ followed by a laughing emoji.
Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat senator, accused Musk of violating X’s guidelines.
X’s synthetic and manipulated media policy prohibits users from sharing ‘synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media that may deceive or confuse people and lead to harm'
A spokesperson for Harris’s presidential campaign said: ‘The American people want the real freedom, opportunity and security Vice-President Harris is offering; not the fake, manipulated lies of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.’
The fake Harris video was posted originally by the @MrReaganUSA account, linked to conservative YouTuber podcaster Chris Kohls.
Elon Musk did not flag the video as a parody when he posted it.
Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, said that the manipulated Harris video should be ‘illegal’ and that he would soon sign a bill banning such media.
Deepfake expert Hany Farid said: ‘The AI-generated voice is very good. Even though most people won’t believe it is [vice-president] Harris’s voice, the video is that much more powerful when the words are in her voice.’
Accuracy
Elon Musk shared a digitally manipulated campaign video for Vice President Kamala Harris on X, a social media platform he owns.
The manipulated video removed images critical of Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance and mimicked Harris' voice to deceive people.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes no explicit fallacious statements in the article. However, there are instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority that should be noted. The author states 'Kamala Harris’ election campaign has accused Elon Musk of spreading “manipulated lies”' and 'Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat senator, accused Musk of violating the platform’s guidelines.' These statements are not fallacious in themselves but they do contain inflammatory language. Additionally, the author quotes Hany Farid, a deepfake expert from the University of California, Berkeley as an authority on deepfakes and their power. This is not a fallacy but it does contribute to the overall tone of the article which may be biased against Musk.
][Kamala Harris’ election campaign] has accused Elon Musk of spreading “manipulated lies”[[,
Bias
(80%)
The author, Dan Milmo, uses language that depicts Musk as spreading 'manipulated lies' and 'doctored video'. This is an example of bias in the reporting.
> The Tesla chief executive posted a doctored video featuring the vice-president on his X account.<br> > Musk reposted a manipulated Harris campaign video on Friday evening in which a fake Harris voiceover says: <i>'I was selected because I am the ultimate diversity hire,'</i> and that anyone who criticises her is <i>'both sexist and racist'</i>.<br> > The Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, posted on X on Sunday evening that the manipulated Harris video should be <i>'illegal'</i>.
Elon Musk shared a fake video of Vice President Kamala Harris using an AI voice mimicking her to insult her campaign and President Joe Biden.
The video did not have a disclaimer stating that it used AI to mimic Harris’s voice.
California Governor Gavin Newsom called for a law to make such manipulated videos illegal.
Accuracy
Elon Musk shared a fake, AI-generated video of Kamala Harris on Twitter.
The Harris campaign criticized Musk for sharing the manipulated video and called it 'manipulated lies'.
Musk described Vice President Harris as 'extinctionist' and warned of a 'de facto holocaust for all of humanity' on X.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(80%)
The author, Nick Robertson, makes no fallacious statements in the article. However, there are some instances of inflammatory rhetoric used by individuals quoted in the article. The Harris campaign and California Governor Gavin Newsom use strong language to criticize Elon Musk for sharing a fake video of Vice President Harris. This does not constitute a fallacy on the part of the author, but it is important to note that inflammatory rhetoric can be used to manipulate emotions and sway public opinion.
]The Harris campaign knocked Musk over the video.[
Elon Musk reposted a manipulated video of Vice President Kamala Harris on X without disclosing it was altered.
The manipulated video mimics Harris’ voice and changes her words to criticize Biden, herself, and diversity hires.
Accuracy
Elon Musk made no disclosure about the manipulation when he reposted the video on his account.
Deception
(0%)
The author, Ken Bensinger, reports on Elon Musk sharing a manipulated video of Vice President Kamala Harris without disclosing that it had been altered. This is an example of selective reporting and deception by omission. The article also mentions that the video was edited to remove certain images and add others, which further demonstrates the manipulation of the content.
The original, unaltered ad... is titled ‘We Choose Freedom.’ The version posted on X does not contain a disclaimer.
The version posted on X does not contain a disclaimer, though the account that first uploaded it Friday morning, @MrReaganUSA, noted in its post that the video was a ‘parody.’ When Mr. Musk reposted the video on his own account eight hours later, he made no such disclosure.
The billionaire owner of the social media platform X, Elon Musk, reposted an edited campaign video for Vice President Kamala Harris that appears to have been digitally manipulated to change the spot's voice-over in a deceptive manner.
Fallacies
(0%)
The author, Ken Bensinger, commits the following fallacies: 1. Appeal to Authority: The author states that Elon Musk is the most influential voice on X and arguably on all of social media. This statement is an appeal to authority as it assumes that being influential equates to having credibility or truth in what they say or share, which is not necessarily true.
]The billionaire owner of the social media platform X reposted an edited campaign video for Vice President Kamala Harris that appears to have been digitally manipulated to change the spot's voice-over in a deceptive manner.[
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has waded into one of the thorniest issues facing U.S. politics: deepfake videos.
Mr. Musk’s post, which has since been viewed 98 million times,
Bias
(0%)
The author, Ken Bensinger, demonstrates a clear bias against Elon Musk by implying that his actions were deceptive and in violation of X's policies without providing any evidence that Musk intended to deceive or mislead his followers. The author also uses language such as 'waded into one of the thorniest issues facing U.S. politics: deepfake videos' and 'runs afoul of X’s policies' to depict Musk in a negative light.
The author implies that Musk's actions were deceptive and in violation of X's policies without providing any evidence.
The author uses language such as 'waded into one of the thorniest issues facing U.S. politics: deepfake videos' and 'runs afoul of X’s policies' to depict Musk in a negative light.
The version posted on X does not contain a disclaimer, though the account that first uploaded it Friday morning, @MrReaganUSA, noted in its post that the video was a ‘parody.’ When Mr. Musk reposted the video on his own account eight hours later, he made no such disclosure.
