Deepfakes, real votes: Officials contend with rise in AI…
Ahead of local elections, South Korean authorities grapple with the rise of political deepfakes, struggling to enforce regulations against AI-generated…
- 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.