Could the next election be AI-generated? Presidential candidates use tech to promote themselves and attack their opponent in Argentina

The next US election could see a flood of AI-generated campaigning posters after candidates in Argentina used it to promote themselves and attack their opponent.

Sergio Massa and Javier Milei are battling for the presidency and are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in hopes of one-upping the other.

Massa recreated himself in several scenes where he sports military metals, surrounded by hundreds of people looking up at him in hope while pushing out a video showing Javier as a character in the film Clockwork Orange.

But the far-right libertarian economist did not sit back quietly - he used AI to create Massa in the form of a Chinese communist leader.

Argentina's digital posters follow those created by US officials this year, such as a video from Ron DeSantis of Florida's campaign which featured a video showing Donald Trump embracing Anthony Fauci.

The New York Times reported that Massa's campaign fed a system with specific prompts in the promotional posters.

'Sovietic Political propaganda poster illustration by Gustav Klutsis featuring a leader, Massa, standing firmly,' according to NYT.

'Symbols of unity and power fill the environment,' the prompt continued. 'The image exudes authority and determination.' 

Massa has several AI-generated posters, some with a crowd cheering around him and others of him standing alone while staring out into the distance.

One image shows Massa wearing a light blue shirt with military-like metals pinned above the pockets. 

He is standing among a sea of solemn-looking people, staring at him while he points to the blue sky above. 

Massa took the opportunity to cast his opponent in a bad light, focusing on Milei's outbursts along the campaign trail.

Milei, who is also a TV personality, collapsed on live television on October 29 during an interview. The public said he looked 'unhinged, exhibiting erratic behavior and using unusual hand gestures.'

The on-air breakdown sparked widespread concern among the public and has raised questions about his mental stability, with citizens concerned that his emotional state might impact how he leads the country.

With such incidents, Massa used AI to put Milei's face on movie characters in  Clockwork Orange and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to depict him as unstable.

While most people will determine the imagery is fake, Massa took his plan one step further with a deepfake video where Milei is shown discussing the concept of a human organ market, which he would legalize if elected.

Massa told NYT: 'We asked an AI to assist Javier in explaining the organ-selling business, and this was the result.'

In a TV interview, Massa expressed that he was taken aback by the technology's abilities, saying, 'I wasn't mentally prepared for the world I'm entering. It's a significant challenge. We're riding a horse whose tricks we're still learning.' 

The campaign stated that 'its AI usage aims to entertain and make political points, not to mislead. But this is very dangerous behavior. '

In June, DeSantis, who is running for US president, used AI-generated images of former President Trump hugging Fauci.

AFP reported that three images in the 44-second attack ad were fakes. 

Those images show Trump hugging and kissing Fauci, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, who became synonymous with the U.S.'s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The ad shows Apprentice-era Trump firing a number of individuals but then refusing to ax Fauci, whom conservatives blamed for COVID lockdowns, school closures and masking.

As audio of Trump explaining why he never fired Fauci plays, a collage of six images of the two men together is shown - with three real pictures and three deep fakes.

The words 'Real Life Trump' were placed over the collage.

'It was sneaky to intermix what appears to be authentic photos with fake photos, but these three images are almost certainly AI-generated,' Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and expert in digital forensics, misinformation and image analysis, told AFP.

President Joe Biden has also been used in deepfakes.

In May, a video was released showing him dressed as trans star Dylan Mulvaney promoting Bud Light.

Trump was also included in the scheme - a clip showed him teaching tax evasion inside a quiet Albuquerque nail salon, showing that not even the nation's most powerful figures are safe from AI identity theft.

Experts say that it is relatively easy today to spot these fakes, but it will be impossible in the coming years because technology is advancing quickly. 

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