In 2026, even the most internet-savvy people will find it increasingly difficult to distinguish between what’s real and what’s created by artificial intelligence. After all, how many times have we seen videos of Will Smith eating spaghetti that remind us of how far we’ve come?
Despite the problems with Elon Musk’s Grok, he has recently touted his own improvements in terms of video length and sound, and we have to admit that things are improving by the day. It’s good that people are making fun of the video of Donald Trump sucking Musk’s toes, but when the president himself uses AI to make fun of the Constitution and throw feces on protesters, some are questioning the president’s use of AI.
President Donald Trump is trying to prove his general tech savvy by signing large-scale AI orders and using it regularly, but the latter could have “dangerous” side effects, according to the Associated Press.
President Trump has warned against the use of so-called “woke” AI, but experts say we need to be wary of misinformation on both sides.
The Trump administration has been criticized for its use of AI (X / White House)
The paper points to an image of civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong appearing to shed tears after her arrest. Although the original was shared by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the official White House X account posted a digitally altered (albeit realistic) snapshot of her in tears.
Critics criticized the Trump administration’s official channels for sharing the AI image, while Deputy Director of Public Affairs Kaylan Dole said, “Memes are here to stay,” prompting further backlash. White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson echoed this sentiment, mocking those who were outraged by the digitally altered Mr. Armstrong.
David Rand, a professor of information science at Cornell University, discusses Armstrong’s situation, arguing that calling this type of image a “meme” “certainly seems like an attempt to cast it as a joke or a humorous post, much like previous cartoons.”
“This is likely intended to protect them from criticism for posting manipulated media.”
More than just posts depicting Donald Trump as a bad guy star wars Due to its nature, changing arrest images is “much more ambiguous.”
Republican communications consultant Zach Henry said the use of AI-enhanced or edited images is a way to appeal to specific demographics, praising the White House’s social media team for its regular work. “The ultimate online user will see it and immediately recognize it as a meme. Grandparents may not understand it when they see it, but they will ask their children and grandchildren about it because it looks authentic.”
According to Northwestern University professor and news media literacy researcher Michael A. Spikes, this only increases distrust from trusted sources like the government.
“By sharing this kind of content, by creating this kind of content, trust is being eroded. I’m always skeptical of the word trust, but it’s eroding the trust that we should have in the federal government to provide us with accurate and verified information. This is a real loss and it’s really worrying.”
Mr Spikes said there was already a “systemic crisis” in which people did not trust the news, and the government was at risk of fanning the flames of controversy.
A similar boom in AI content following the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preti appears to be getting worse.
Jeremy Carrasco, a content creator who specializes in media literacy and debunking viral AI videos, concludes that most people don’t know “what’s real and what’s not when it really matters, such as when the stakes are much higher.”
