Donald Trump has found a new way to deal with unpleasant controversy, and he may hold artificial intelligence accountable. The former US president answered questions in his oval office, saying that AI has become so powerful at creating fake videos that it can be used as an excuse if things don't go well.
The statement appeared to appear to have been thrown out of the White House window after Fox News reporter Peter Doucy showed Trump a viral video on his cell phone. Trump quickly dismissed it, saying, “It's probably being generated.” He also argued that the heavy, sealed bullet windows in the White House were nearly impossible to throw away anything. Joking about it, he added that even his wife had once complained that they couldn't open them because of the fresh air.
Interestingly, the White House had already worked on the virus clip a day ago, making it clear that it was authentic but harmless. Officials said people saw it was simply a contractor who performed routine maintenance, not questionable. Nevertheless, Trump used the incident to show how AI can easily obscure reality.
“One of the problems we have with AI is both good and bad,” Trump said. “If something happens, you just blame the AI for something really bad. But they make things. You know, it works both ways.”
This is not the first time Trump has linked it to AI-driven misinformation. In July, he reposted a fake video showing former President Barack Obama being arrested in an oval office. He also admitted that he recently saw a video montage of his own life from childhood to ever, just to realize it was entirely machine-made. “I see so many fakes,” Trump said. “To be honest, it's a little scary.”
Trump has often been accused of spreading false claims, especially around the 2020 election, but the rise of deepfakes makes the truth even more difficult than ever. Experts believe that AI-generated content will only be more persuasive in the coming years.
But for Trump, AI seems to offer more than just concern. It could also be a shield. In his own words, if the dispute becomes out of control, the solution may be simple: “Just blame the AI.”
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