When former President Donald Trump faced the possibility of arrest in the case involving hush money to Stormy Daniels, the internet was abuzz with speculation about how such an event might unfold. Amidst this curiosity, Eliot Higgins, the renowned creator of the open-source investigative journalism website Bellingcat, took imagination to new heights. Using the AI image generator Midjourney, Higgins crafted 50 strikingly realistic photos depicting Trump resisting arrest and fleeing from law enforcement officers outside a structure resembling Trump Tower in New York City.
The images, posted on March 21, quickly gained traction online, capturing the attention of social media users worldwide. In these AI-generated pictures, Trump can be seen grappling with the police, attempting to evade arrest while displaying a remarkable level of realism. Many viewers were astonished at the convincing nature of the images, with some mistaking them for authentic photographs of the former president’s arrest.
Higgins, based in the UK, explained that he experimented with various prompts to explore the capabilities of AI technology. He envisioned scenarios ranging from Trump falling over during his arrest to depicting the reactions of his children and even his life behind bars. The images, created with prompts like “Donald Trump falling over while getting arrested. Fibonacci Spiral. News footage,†formed a captivating narrative, drawing viewers into a fictional yet compelling storyline.
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In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Higgins expressed his amusement, stating, “They kind of formed a narrative and I thought it was really amusing. I put it out there. I didn’t intend to do any clever criticism or anything like that. But then it kind of took on a life of its own.†Despite his initial intent for amusement, the images took the internet by storm, becoming a viral sensation.
However, amidst the laughter, some social media users failed to discern the artificial nature of the images. One of the pictures even portrayed Trump with three legs and a police belt, highlighting the challenge of distinguishing AI-generated content from reality. Higgins, astonished at the lack of critical thinking skills displayed by some, pointed out, “Donald Trump has two legs, not three, but that appears not to have stopped some people passing them off as genuine, which highlights the lack of critical thinking skills in our educational system.â€
The incident raised concerns about the potential misuse of AI-generated content. Vwani Roychowdhury, a professor at UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, emphasized the ease with which fake videos and images could be created to appear realistic, blurring the lines between truth and misinformation. To address this issue, some users suggested watermarking AI-generated images to prevent their misleading use in various contexts.
As society grapples with the challenges posed by advancing technology, Higgins’ experiment serves as a stark reminder of the need for critical thinking and vigilance in the age of AI-generated content. The incident underscores the importance of discerning between fact and fiction, urging individuals to approach online content with a discerning eye to combat the spread of misinformation in the digital age.
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Here’s what artificial intelligence “thinks†the arrest could look like:
Businessman, former President Donald Trump in a first-of-its-kind incident, faces impending arrest over alleged hush money he paid to a porn star. If he is arrested, this would be the first time a criminal case is launched against a current or former US president.
