The White House has been accused of digitally manipulating a photo to make it appear as if local civil rights activist Nekima Levy Armstrong was sobbing during her arrest in connection with a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In the original photo, Levy Armstrong is shown being escorted by authorities after her arrest at Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota. However, the version published by the White House on its official X account shows an image that has been altered to make it appear as if she was openly weeping.
Google's AI watermarking system initially flagged the manipulated photo, but subsequent tests produced inconsistent responses. This inconsistency raises questions about the consistency of Google's SynthID system, which is designed to identify hidden markers used by Google AI tools on photos.
Levy Armstrong's attorney, Jordan Kushner, has described the altered image as part of a fascist regime that "literally invents reality" to serve its agenda. The White House has referred questions about the manipulated photo to tweets from one of its spokespersons, who lashed out at critics of law enforcement.
The incident has sparked debate about the use of AI in image manipulation and the potential consequences for cases like Levy Armstrong's. Defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman has argued that the altered photo could have a prejudicial effect on her case, while veteran civil rights lawyer Ron Kuby has highlighted the broader issue of politicians using propaganda to shape public opinion.
The White House's actions have been criticized by many as part of a broader effort to undermine democracy and erode trust in institutions. The Intercept has reported extensively on the erosion of press freedom under the Trump administration and the rise of authoritarianism in America.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the courts will respond to the use of manipulated images like Levy Armstrong's arrest photo as evidence.
In the original photo, Levy Armstrong is shown being escorted by authorities after her arrest at Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota. However, the version published by the White House on its official X account shows an image that has been altered to make it appear as if she was openly weeping.
Google's AI watermarking system initially flagged the manipulated photo, but subsequent tests produced inconsistent responses. This inconsistency raises questions about the consistency of Google's SynthID system, which is designed to identify hidden markers used by Google AI tools on photos.
Levy Armstrong's attorney, Jordan Kushner, has described the altered image as part of a fascist regime that "literally invents reality" to serve its agenda. The White House has referred questions about the manipulated photo to tweets from one of its spokespersons, who lashed out at critics of law enforcement.
The incident has sparked debate about the use of AI in image manipulation and the potential consequences for cases like Levy Armstrong's. Defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman has argued that the altered photo could have a prejudicial effect on her case, while veteran civil rights lawyer Ron Kuby has highlighted the broader issue of politicians using propaganda to shape public opinion.
The White House's actions have been criticized by many as part of a broader effort to undermine democracy and erode trust in institutions. The Intercept has reported extensively on the erosion of press freedom under the Trump administration and the rise of authoritarianism in America.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the courts will respond to the use of manipulated images like Levy Armstrong's arrest photo as evidence.
White House is literally inventing reality with AI! 
They're playing with fire, and democracy might get burned 
. How can we trust their pics when they're already messing with vids? 
This is a slippery slope, folks, and it's gotta stop ASAP 
This whole thing is just crazy! I mean, I'm all for a good critique of politics, but come on, messing with someone's picture like that? It's just not right 
. And what really gets me is how they're trying to deflect attention by lashing out at critics over Twitter... it's just so passive-aggressive 
.
It's like, what's next? Them manipulating our own memories or something? 
.
And then to have Google's AI watermarking system give them a hard time, but not consistently... that just raises more questions about who's behind this and why they're doing it. 
. and now we're having to debate whether these manipulated images are even usable as evidence? 
it's like, what's next? Photoshopping historical events? 
not exactly the kind of thing that instills trust in our institutions... but hey, at least it's entertaining 
.
. This whole thing reeks of a cover-up. Levy Armstrong's lawyer is right, this is part of a fascist regime that's trying to manipulate reality... and the White House just wants to distract us from all the real issues 
. We need more transparency, not less. The fact that Google's AI system can't even agree on whether the photo was manipulated or not is just a red flag 
.
what's next?