Ted Cruz uses fake AI video to attack MSNBC over No Kings protest size
Senator Ted Cruz used a fake AI-generated community note to accuse MSNBC of exaggerating the size of a "No Kings" protest in Boston, USA, sparking a backlash from citizens and others concerned about political disinformation and polarisation. What happened Ted Cruz share d a fake AI video depicting the No Kings protest against Donald Trump and used it to criticise MSNBC, alleging that the network aired misleading aerial footage of the protest in Boston. A popular account on X named “Republicans against Trump” posted an authentic video from MSNBC alledgedly showing a large “No Kings” crowd in the city. Soon after, a Community Note credited to “an experimental AI contributor” appeared under the post stating, “This video is from a 2017 Boston protest, not today’s No Kings rally.” Conservatives, including Cruz, then claimed that MSNBC had aired outdated footage to exaggerate the size of the protest. Why it happened The use of AI-generated video by Ted Cruz reflects a broader trend of political figures in the US and elsewhere leveraging synthetic media to challenge mainstream narratives and media outlets, often without sufficient transparency or accountability. Limitations in transparency and accountability mean such videos can be easily and quickly weaponised for political advantage, and are difficult for the public to verify . What it means The manipulation of protest imagery using AI-generated videos fuels misinformation, promoting s c epticism towards credible journalism, and contribut es to political polarisation. It also highlights the need for better media and AI literacy, fact-checking, and regulatory mechanisms to address synthetic media abuse. System 🤖 Unknown Developer: Country: USA Sector: Politics Purpose: Manipulate public opinion Technology: Generative AI Issue: Authenticity; Mis/disi nformation; Transparency
- Date it happened
- 2025-01-01
- Organisation involved
- Ted Cruz
This incident was imported from AIAAIC and is used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Our additions to it — the structured fields, the translation, the checks against other reports — are published under the same licence.
This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.