With the relatively new introduction of generative AI, our society has seen numerous applications of this tool, but never to the extent of a world leader using it in ways that are anything but serious. President Donald Trump’s use of AI in his campaigning started back in 2024, leading up to the presidential election, where he opposed the Democratic candidate and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Some AI-generated images used by President Trump during his election campaign, posted on social media, include cats that hold signs saying things like “Kamala hates me” or “Cats for Trump” in reference to a moment spoken about in the September 2024 presidential debate. Trump falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating pets, and his stance on it went viral: “In Springfield, they are eating the dogs… they are eating the cats.” Other AI images and videos include Trump watching as officers take away and arrest former President Obama.
Sharing these images is viewed as immature and informal, leaving many to question whether this man should truly have the power of our country in his hands. These images are referencing sensitive topics and groups of people that have been humiliated, and Trump is using them to advertise himself. Many view this as genuinely insensitive, especially since these are the citizens of his own country.
Trump may be using this as a strategy to appeal to a younger generation of voters. For the longest time, Trump has been channeling the nostalgia of America “before” in his slogan of “Make America Great Again!” This slogan appeals to older generations because, of all people, they would be the ones to vote for, supposedly, returning America to its previous glory, because they know what that looks like. But AI is really a new generation concept, and using it to make the government more “relatable” to younger people may help Trump appeal to new voters.
Or this use of AI is a call for attention in newsrooms and headlines, because any attention could be seen as beneficial. As Adrian Shahbaz, the Vice President of Research and Analysis at Freedom House, said, “The more ridiculous the photo or video, the more likely it is to dominate our news feeds.” The images and videos being used are clearly ridiculous, but our nation’s journalists are also playing into this thirst for attention.
On the other hand, Democrats also use AI in their campaigning and on their TikTok social media page. They use it to explain current events, but also to oppose Trump and his administration. These TikToks include edits of how Trump is causing the government trouble and how it is better off not in his hands, or convincing people to return the title of President to the Democratic Party.
Overall, the world we live in and the propaganda shared have undergone significant changes over the years. These new uses of AI in government may be seen simply as leaders utilizing their resources and trying to win with every tool at their disposal.
