- ‘I am not a photojournalist. My focus is not on capturing real-time events through photographs. I see myself as a storyteller,’ expressed the individual behind one of the images in an interview with the BBC.
By Paul Farrell For dailymail.com
The supporters of Donald Trump utilized artificial intelligence to produce images depicting the former president being embraced by African American individuals, a demographic that the Republican party continues to find challenging to attract.
A recent investigative report by BBC’s Panorama uncovered the involvement of at least one prominent Trump supporter, Mark Kaye, a radio host based in Florida, who confessed to creating the fabricated image.
In his statement to the BBC, Kaye clarified his role by stating, ‘I’m not a photojournalist. I’m not out there taking pictures of what’s really happening. I’m a storyteller.’
The BBC revealed two AI-generated images, one portraying Trump smiling and surrounded by a group of black women, crafted by Mark Kaye and his team. The second image depicted Trump standing in front of a house with a group of young black men, garnering significant attention on social media.
Accompanying the photo was a narrative suggesting that Trump spontaneously stopped his motorcade to interact with the men outside a residence. However, the BBC investigation confirmed the inauthenticity of the image.
The caption of the photo implied a sense of unity and support for Trump among individuals of various ethnicities, stating, ‘Many are coming on board look at all the rap songs coming out pro Trump their lining in the streets when he’s motorcade drives down their neighborhood I have hope all of us no matter what shade of color wake up and unite.’
Upon closer examination, discrepancies such as overly glossy skin and missing fingers on individuals hinted at the artificial nature of the images, as highlighted in the BBC report.
Notably, there is no evidence linking the creation or promotion of these images to Trump’s official campaign.
Kaye further emphasized the interpretive nature of the images, stating, ‘I’m not claiming it is accurate. I’m not saying, “Hey, look, Donald Trump was at this party with all of these African American voters. Look how much they love him.”’
Regarding the impact of such images on viewers, Kaye remarked, ‘If anybody’s voting one way or another because of one photo they see on a Facebook page, that’s a problem with that person, not with the post itself.’
The individual responsible for the image featuring Trump and the young black men, known only as Shaggy from Michigan, reportedly evaded inquiries from a BBC reporter and chose to block further communication. Prior to blocking the reporter, Shaggy mentioned attracting a substantial following but did not engage in further discussion.
MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC, is set to launch an advertising campaign targeting black voters in Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, commencing on Monday.
Efforts to obtain responses from Trump’s campaign and the image creators regarding this story are currently underway by DailyMail.com.
This incident is not the first instance of Trump being associated with AI-generated content. Previously, Trump accused unidentified individuals of using AI to manipulate images of him, particularly focusing on his physical appearance during a golfing session.
Trump’s claims were vocalized through social media, where he denounced the use of AI to alter images, emphasizing the prevalence of misinformation in the media landscape.
A recent post featuring a photo of Trump with a digitally altered physique circulated online, coinciding with a legal ruling in his New York case by Justice Arthur F. Engoron. However, upon investigation, it was revealed that the image was not AI-generated but a photoshopped depiction of John Daly, a well-known golfer and Trump supporter.
Conversely, in a separate incident, automated calls employing AI technology were disseminated to voters in New Hampshire, featuring Joe Biden’s voice discouraging participation in the primary elections, labeling them as ‘malarkey’ and advising voters to reserve their ballots for the general election.
Trump’s endeavors to engage with black voters have faced persistent challenges, stemming from his initial presidential campaign in 2016.
In a controversial statement, Trump suggested that his legal troubles would resonate positively with black voters, portraying himself as a victim of discrimination within the legal system and drawing parallels to historical injustices faced by the black community in the United States.
Despite Trump’s assertions of political persecution, there is no substantiated evidence implicating Biden or White House officials in the legal actions taken against him.
Trump’s history is marked by instances of racial controversies, beginning with allegations of discriminatory practices in his real estate ventures in New York.
His involvement in the Central Park Five case, where he advocated for the reinstatement of the death penalty for five wrongly accused black and Latino teenagers, further fueled accusations of racial bias.
Throughout his presidency, Trump made inflammatory remarks targeting various ethnicities, including derogatory comments about African nations and suggesting that certain congresswomen should return to their countries of origin, despite their American citizenship.
