Deepfakes, real votes: Officials contend with rise in AI campaign videos ahead of June 3…
Ahead of local elections, South Korean authorities grapple with the rise of political deepfakes, struggling to enforce regulations against AI-generated content.
- Incident date
- May 2024
- Target
- Cho Kuk
Political deepfakes are posing a significant challenge for election authorities in South Korea. Despite regulations, the rapid spread of AI-generated content is testing enforcement capabilities.
What happened
On May 13, a photo circulated online appearing to show Cho Kuk, a candidate in a parliamentary by-election, carrying shopping bags in a traditional market. It was later revealed to be AI-generated. Cho’s campaign denied involvement after the image had been viewed thousands of times. In February, a former Democratic Party candidate uploaded a fake news-style video claiming TIME magazine had selected him as a leader. The content, anchor's face, and voice were all fabricated using AI. The National Election Commission (NEC) filed a complaint and the candidate withdrew. As of Wednesday, the NEC had requested the deletion of thousands of deepfake-related posts and issued criminal complaints and warnings. Authorities are using a deepfake detection program to identify manipulated videos.