The White House has been accused of manipulating a photo of civil rights activist Nekima Levy Armstrong to make her appear as if she is crying during her arrest. Google's AI tools were used to digitally alter the image, which was then shared on the White House's official X account.
According to an initial analysis by Intercept, the altered image showed Levy Armstrong in tears, with a caption labeling her as a "far-left agitator" and accusing her of "orchestrating church riots". The image was later found to have been manipulated using Google's AI tools, but subsequent tests produced inconsistent results.
The White House denied any involvement in the digital alteration of the photo. In response to questions about the image, a spokesperson referred to a tweet from Kaelan Dorr, who lashed out at those defending perpetrators of "heinous crimes".
Lawyers for Levy Armstrong have disputed the altered image, saying it makes her look weak and scared and could be used as evidence that her arrest was a political prosecution. Ron Kuby, a veteran civil rights lawyer, believes the problem lies in the prosecution itself, rather than the meme.
The incident has raised questions about the consistency of Google's AI watermarking tool, SynthID. The White House's use of manipulated photos to shape public perception is seen by some as part of a larger effort to control the narrative and undermine democratic institutions.
Critics argue that the government's actions are tantamount to creating an alternate reality, and that the incident highlights the need for robust safeguards against manipulation and disinformation. As the case against Levy Armstrong continues, concerns about the impact of such tactics on public perception and trust in institutions remain.
According to an initial analysis by Intercept, the altered image showed Levy Armstrong in tears, with a caption labeling her as a "far-left agitator" and accusing her of "orchestrating church riots". The image was later found to have been manipulated using Google's AI tools, but subsequent tests produced inconsistent results.
The White House denied any involvement in the digital alteration of the photo. In response to questions about the image, a spokesperson referred to a tweet from Kaelan Dorr, who lashed out at those defending perpetrators of "heinous crimes".
Lawyers for Levy Armstrong have disputed the altered image, saying it makes her look weak and scared and could be used as evidence that her arrest was a political prosecution. Ron Kuby, a veteran civil rights lawyer, believes the problem lies in the prosecution itself, rather than the meme.
The incident has raised questions about the consistency of Google's AI watermarking tool, SynthID. The White House's use of manipulated photos to shape public perception is seen by some as part of a larger effort to control the narrative and undermine democratic institutions.
Critics argue that the government's actions are tantamount to creating an alternate reality, and that the incident highlights the need for robust safeguards against manipulation and disinformation. As the case against Levy Armstrong continues, concerns about the impact of such tactics on public perception and trust in institutions remain.
it's so suspicious that they're trying to control the narrative and undermine democratic institutions #NotMyReality #ManipulationIsReal #TruthMatters 
i mean, what's next? will they be altering vids of world leaders too? 
this whole thing is a total scandal! 
the fact that they're using SynthID to watermark pics makes it even more suspicious... how can we trust the info they're sharing if it's been tampered with?! 
like if you're gonna use google AI tools to alter images then at least have the decency to watermark it or something idk how much more fake it can get but honestly it feels like they're trying to gaslight people into thinking Levy Armstrong is some kinda villain 
and now google's watermarking tool is being questioned too 
. But seriously, this whole thing reeks of an attempt to control the narrative and undermine trust in institutions. What's next? Manipulated memes about climate change or vaccine skeptics? The thought alone is just... ugh 
. They've been known to be pretty ruthless with their online presence and using manipulated images like this just shows a lack of integrity. The fact that they're trying to use AI tools to alter photos and create an alternate reality is just crazy 
. I think this whole situation highlights how important it is for our institutions to be transparent and honest online 
. Like, what's next? Photoshopping someone's face onto a historical figure? 
.
And what about the fact that the White House is using this kind of manipulation to shape public perception? It's like they're trying to gaslight us or something 
). Can't wait to see what happens next 
.
. The fact that Google's AI tools were allegedly used to digitally alter a photo, making it look like Nekima Levy Armstrong is crying during her arrest, and then shared it on the White House's official account, raises serious concerns about the integrity of our democracy 
.
. The lack of transparency and accountability from our government officials is staggering 
It's like we're living in a science fiction movie where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred 
.
.
. They're using tech to shape public perception and undermine trust in institutions? that's not right 
.
.
. Can't let them get away with trying to manipulate public opinion like that 
.
and honestly, if they're using AI tools to shape public perception, that just highlights how much control they think they have over the narrative 
meanwhile, google's ai tools are like, super flawed and need a major overhaul - i mean, how hard is it to watermark a photo, right? 
! The White House using Google's AI tools to alter a photo of Nekima Levy Armstrong is just not okay 
. We need to have robust safeguards in place to prevent manipulation and disinformation from spreading 
like what even is going on with the synthid tool though? can't even get a basic watermark right 