‘They feel true’: political deepfakes are growing in influence – even if people know they aren’t real
TL;DR
AI-generated images of fabricated women in military gear are being monetized and used as effective propaganda tools.
Key Points
- Researchers warn these avatars help idealize political figures like Donald Trump – even when viewers know the content is fake.
- Experts call this 'emotionally true': the images feel real despite being synthetic.
- Creators generate real income from these accounts while simultaneously shaping geopolitical narratives.
- Deepfakes have moved beyond real public figures – entirely fabricated identities now drive new propaganda formats.
Nauti's Take
'Knowing it's fake' is no longer a shield – that's the uncomfortable core finding here. Next-generation AI propaganda doesn't need deception, it only needs resonance.
Building Trump-idealizing military avatars and monetizing them produces political framing as a side effect by design. Platforms that allow monetization of such content are not neutral infrastructure – they are co-producers of this reality distortion.
Any regulation that only asks 'is it real? ' fundamentally misses the point.
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