Two months before the Election Day, a photo of singer Elton John wearing a pink coat adorned with "MAGA" came to light on social media, implying that the renowned artist had endorsed former President Donald Trump. However, the image was not genuine. This incident is part of an ongoing trend of artificially created images and videos designed to mislead viewers into believing their favorite celebrities are supporting political figures. Other celebrities, like Will Smith and Taylor Swift, have also been depicted in misleading ways suggesting their endorsement of Trump in the forthcoming presidential election. When Swift publicly backed Vice President Kamala Harris in an Instagram post, she mentioned AI-generated images that incorrectly portrayed her as endorsing Trump, leading her to conclude that she needed to clearly communicate her actual voting intentions for this election. An AI-generated video featuring Will Smith and Chris Rock, which garnered over 700, 000 views on X, depicted the two stars enjoying large servings of spaghetti alongside Trump. **Identifying AI-Generated Images** Claire Leibowicz, head of the AI and Media Integrity Program at The Partnership on AI, shared three primary strategies for identifying whether an image or video is AI-generated or manipulated in her conversation with CBS News. Firstly, look for signs of airbrushing, smudging, or other features that contradict natural physics, Leibowicz advised. Secondly, search for visual inconsistencies.

For instance, in the altered Elton John photo, the MAGA letters on his coat were awkwardly stitched across the lapels, and his glasses appeared unnaturally close together. The third method involves finding the original image by performing a reverse search online. This can be done by taking a screenshot and uploading it to tools like Google Lens, which will help in locating the original source and confirming its authenticity. Leibowicz also recounted being misled by AI in the past when a fake image of Pope Francis gained traction online. "This is becoming increasingly challenging, and we will need journalists and experts to assist us in authenticating content, " she emphasized. A poll conducted by the Polarization Research Lab in March revealed that nearly 50% of Americans believe AI will negatively impact elections; approximately 30% are uncertain, while 20% feel that AI could enhance the election process. Sam Gregory, executive director of Witness. org, a global nonprofit dedicated to utilizing video and technology for human rights protection, remarked to CBS News, "Most misleading information about elections is likely to come from influential leaders disseminating falsehoods or distorting the truth publicly. "