"But an edited - and realistic - image of civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong in tears after being arrested is raising new alarms about how the administration is blurring the lines between what is real and what is fake. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's account posted the original image from Levy Armstrong's arrest before the official White House account posted an altered image that showed her crying. The doctored picture is part of a deluge of AI-edited imagery that has been shared across the political spectrum since the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by U.S. Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis."
"David Rand, a professor of information science at Cornell University, says calling the altered image a meme "certainly seems like an attempt to cast it as a joke or humorous post, like their prior cartoons. This presumably aims to shield them from criticism for posting manipulated media." He said the purpose of sharing the altered arrest image seems "much more ambiguous" than the cartoonish images the administration has shared in the past."
"However, the White House's use of artificial intelligence has troubled misinformation experts who fear the spreading of AI-generated or edited images erodes public perception of the truth and sows distrust. In response to criticism of the edited image of Levy Armstrong, White House officials doubled down on the post, with deputy communications director Kaelan Dorr writing on X that the "memes will continue." White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson also shared a post mocking the criticism."
The Trump administration has shared AI-generated and edited imagery on official White House channels, ranging from cartoonlike visuals and memes to realistic doctored photos. An altered image showing civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong crying after an arrest amplified concerns by blurring the line between real and fake media. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted the original arrest photo before the White House shared the edited version. Experts warn that such AI-enhanced content erodes public perception of truth and sows distrust. White House officials defended continuing meme-style posts despite criticism and expert concern over manipulation.
Read at Fast Company
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