AI generated content is making it harder and harder for most people to believe what they see. Now, let’s be honest, that never stopped people from believing it. Primarily if it reinforced your personal beliefs. In many of the instances, it is pretty clear if it is fake. Sometimes it’s hard to tell. My big indicator is how perfect and glossy the image is. Most notably when the “picture” was supposed to be taken in action. Which explains why MAGA was fooled again by an AI picture.
Over the weekend, an air force jet was shot down over Iran. Whether you support this or not – I don’t – it was pretty sweet that military assets were able to save the pilot immediately. News reports claimed that there was a second pilot still missing. Although the military and White House never acknowledged it. However, the second crewman was rescued on Easter Sunday.
An image circulated online that claimed to be a picture of the co-pilot. Shortly after the rescue, he was holding an American flag and surrounded by military soldiers, which you can see below.
It was later debunked as an AI generated image. In other words, it was not real. Before anyone – mostly MAGA – decided to fact check it, it was share across social media. Most notably by Texas Governor Greg “Hot Wheels” Abbott and human Brillo pad, New York Representative Mike Lawler. Oh, and Republican Texas Senate candidate, Ken Paxton.
MAGA Fooled by AI Generated Image
The fake image has since been reshared more than 21,000 times on the social media platform, including by elected GOP officials. “This is so awesome,” Abbott wrote to his 1.4 million X followers in a since-deleted post. “Shot down on Good Friday… rescued on Easter morning. God is sending a message to our enemies!” Paxton wrote while sharing the image. Lawler also shared the image with his X followers, adding the caption: “God Bless America!”
“Maybe when you are a member of Congress, you should try to make sure you aren’t posting AI slop from a BS right-wing influencer,” MeidasTouch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski wrote while sharing a screenshot of Lawler’s post.
While reposting Abbott’s error, Reason magazine reporter Billy Binion wrote: “This kind of stuff is bleak. I get that we’re in a new era, but we desperately need a new crash course in media literacy, or just a reminder to be remotely discerning. The governor of Texas should not be sharing an obviously fake photo from a slop account.”
This isn’t the first time MAGA was fooled by AI images. It has been reported that a total AI account on social media was huge. The image you see above was of an army girl that was thought to be real. Taking pictures with many celebrities in the MAGA world. Only to discover that it was fake.
Not to mention Abbott shared a video that showed an Iranian jet being shot down by a US ship. Only to find out it was a video from the video game, War Thunder. At least he had the good sense to delete them and not double down on it. I guess that’s something.