SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A fake artificial intelligence-generated video of Vice President Kamala Harris has been widely viewed online since it was shared on X by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
The video uses a clone tool to copy the voice of Vice President Kamala Harris, making it appear as if she is saying things she is not.
As of Tuesday morning, more than 132 million accounts had viewed shares of Musk's video.
The video has renewed concerns about the use of AI in politics and caught the attention of several Bay Area lawmakers.
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“I think it was truly disappointing and irresponsible of Elon Musk to share this clearly deceptive deepfake of Vice President Harris,” Rep. Marc Berman said.
Berman has long been a vocal advocate for increased regulation of AI-generated content in California.
A few months ago, he introduced a bill in the state legislature that would require social media companies to regulate this type of content during election times.
“We'll be able to identify this content, and if we do identify it and it's particularly egregious and harmful, we'll either block it entirely or label it,” Berman said.
Tiffany Lee said Berman is not alone in calling for increased oversight.
Lee is an associate professor at the University of San Francisco and an expert on deepfake videos.
“But this shouldn't just be up to the platforms — governments should also take action,” she said.
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Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign has generated memes and buzz that have gone viral, and young voters are interested in it.
Lee says combating this type of content is about protecting the integrity of elections.
She says it's vital in a healthy democracy that people can be confident that the material they see is authentic.
“People may actually vote based on what they see in a deepfake video, even if it's completely fake, which is dangerous in itself,” Lee said.
Berman said he expects the bill to become law in the coming weeks.
We will take steps to protect everyone, regardless of their political affiliation.
“Voters want to believe that our elections are fair and our democracy is fair, so I think this is something that has incredible bipartisan support,” Berman said.
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