parody video, deepfake, retouched poster… how artificial intelligence is interfering in the campaign

In the midst of the campaign for the European elections, artificial intelligence is increasingly present. And many Internet users are fooled. Franceinfo dissects three recent examples.

Stop the fakes! The European election campaign provides a great opportunity to use artificial intelligence to fool the most gullible. While scrolling on social networks, you may have come across, or one of your colleagues laughingly showed you, a video presented by Internet users like Valérie Hayer’s campaign clip.

She gets a lot of reaction. In a frankly cheesy montage, we see the Renaissance candidate for the European elections at work, in meetings, in meetings. All set to catchy music: “Everyone knows her, she’s great…Valérie Hayer don’t vote elsewhere!”“How could anyone vote for people who make such a ridiculous campaign video?”writes an Internet user. “Valerie Hayer’s advert!!! Is it a joke?! Renaissance was stronger than Les Républicains with Pécresse”, laughs another. The video is going viral. And some people really believe it.

A parody campaign video, created using artificial intelligence

This video was created by a parody account, ZlavèqueProductions on Youtube. It is well indicated in the description of Valérie Hayer’s clip “#fake”, “#humor”, “#parody”. “I do this just for fun, because it’s funny, there is no political objective”, explains to franceinfo the creator, under the pseudonym Mathieu Blèh, also freelance and creator of content on the internet. He used artificial intelligence to produce this video, ChatGPT to help write the lyrics and another application to compose the music. “The objective is to produce a parody campaign video per candidate”, specifies Mathieu Blèh. The account already offers videos from Emmanuel Macron, Marion Maréchal, Raphaël Glucksmann and Nicolas Sarkozy.

But Mathieu Blèh was “surprised” by the virality of his video on Valérie Hayer. It was shared by numerous far-right activist accounts, without specifying that it was a parody. Valérie Hayer’s entourage denounces to franceinfo a technique for “discredit” the candidate, tinged with sexism. The team is considering filing a report on the Viginum platform, responsible for vigilance and protection against foreign digital interference.

AI to modify the physique of candidates

Artificial intelligence is also used by anonymous accounts to modify the appearance of candidates. Two TikTok accounts have just been deleted by the platform. They offered videos of young girls, exposed navels and long blond hair, with the faces of Marine Le Pen and Marion Maréchal. Partisan messages were attached to the videos. These were deepfake, images generated by artificial intelligence. The account stipulated this, as BFM Tech&Co explains, but Internet users were being fooled.

In a completely different genre. Number 2 on the Ecology at the Center list, Juliette de Causans, voluntarily modified her appearance on her campaign poster, thanks to artificial intelligence. The party explains to franceinfo that the candidate used three different software programs, which she does not want to reveal, to give herself a flat stomach, white teeth, or even a tanned complexion. “It’s a way to warn of the dangers of artificial intelligence”a subject which appears in their program, assures franceinfo the number 1 on the list, Jean-Marc Governatori. “It also allows us to talk about ourselves”he admits.

Whether voluntary or not, emanating directly from candidates or deliberately taken up by activists, artificial intelligence is very present in the campaign for the European elections. You must therefore be vigilant with images, paying close attention to who is sharing them. If you have any doubt, do not hesitate to refer to the official accounts of the candidates. Details can also alert you, such as abnormal lip movement, but images generated by artificial intelligence are increasingly difficult to detect.