Hurricane Helene has wreaked havoc in several areas of the United States, but not only in the physical realm. In social networks, fake images and videos generated by artificial intelligence are proliferating, taking advantage of the tragedy to misinform and manipulate public opinion. One of the most viral photos, showing a girl crying with a puppy during a flood, was widely disseminated on platforms such as Facebook, X and YouTube, although it is an AI-generated deepfake.
Disinformation and conspiracy theories
The dissemination of these fake images has been used by certain groups for political purposes, questioning the actions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In addition, the affected platforms, such as Facebook and X, have failed to effectively curb the spread of these images, which have been tagged with warnings about their falsity, although that has not stopped them from continuing to circulate.
The problem is even more troubling, as the fake images have begun to appear on legitimate information pages about hurricane-affected states, such as North Carolina. These pages, which should provide useful updates on the disaster, are nowpolluted by conspiracy theories. Some suggest that the flooding was not caused by the hurricane, but by human activities, such as infrastructure development related to lithium or artificial intelligence.
The challenge of the platforms
Despite warnings and efforts to alert users to the falsity of these images, many people, including public figures, continue to share them. The case of Amy Kremer, of the Republican National Committee, is a clear example: although it was pointed out to her that the image she shared was a deepfake, she insisted on keeping it because, according to her, it reflected the suffering of the people concerned.
This picture has been seared into my mind.
This picture has been seared into my mind.
My heart hurts💔😭 pic.twitter.com/SCwEMP0aXC- Amy Kremer (@AmyKremer) October 3, 2024
These types of situations highlight the growing problem of deepfakes and the inability of platforms like Facebook and X to effectively control them. With the evolution of AI, the problem of misinformation is likely to intensify in the future.
