After images of the devastation left by Hurricane Helene started to spread online, so too did an image of a crying child holding a puppy on a boat. Some of the posts on X (formerly Twitter) showing the image received millions of views.
It prompted emotional responses from many users – including many Republicans eager to criticize the Biden administration’s disaster response. But others quickly pointed out telltale signs that the image was likely made with generative artificial intelligence tools, such as malformed limbs and blurriness common to some AI image generators.
This election cycle, such AI-generated synthetic images have proliferated on social media platforms, often after politically charged news events. People watching online platforms and the election closely say that these images are a way to spread partisan narratives with facts often being irrelevant.
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