Elon Musk criticized by Kamala Harris’ campaign for sharing fake audio video

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has criticized billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk for sharing a video with doctored or fake audio of Harris describing herself as the “ultimate DEI hire.” Musk re-shared the video, originally labeled as a parody, with his more than 190 million followers on Friday, garnering over 73 million views by Saturday morning.

In the video, a voice falsely purporting to be Harris says, “I was selected because I am the ultimate diversity hire,” and goes on to describe Harris and President Biden as puppets of the deep state. The Harris campaign spokesperson, Mia Ehrenberg, condemned Musk’s actions, stating, “We believe 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.”

CNN ran the fake Harris audio through an AI detection tool, which found substantial evidence that the voice had been generated using AI. This incident highlights the growing concern over AI-generated election interference and deepfakes, prompting bipartisan efforts to regulate their use in campaigns.

Critics argue that the term “DEI” has been used as a racist dog whistle to attack Harris based on her race and gender. State lawmakers have enacted legislation to combat deepfakes and misinformation in campaigns, with more than a dozen states implementing regulations this year. The Department of Homeland Security has warned about the potential for deepfakes to mislead voters, emphasizing the need for vigilance in the face of AI-generated content.