Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY – It's easier than ever for bad actors to use artificial intelligence to create disinformation.
Earlier this month, PBS News issued a warning about a fake video dishonestly using the PBS News logo and showing President Joe Biden addressing the nation using crass and foul language.
Though that example looks and sounds like the president, it is clearly a fake, because of what he's saying. But it's not always that easy to tell.
Just ask voters in New Hampshire, some of whom received a robocall in January that sounded like Biden advising them against heading to the polls to vote.
"It's a pretty egregious example of the use of generative AI to mislead or misguide voters," said Alan Fuller, who serves as the chief information officer for the state of Utah.
And those AI-generated videos aimed at our democratic processes are happening in Utah too.
Deep fakes impacting Utah
"One of the big concerns we have is deep fakes," Fuller said.
Just before June's primary election, a fake video posted to an anonymous X account used Gov. Spencer Cox's face and voice to spread false information about the signature-gathering process and Cox's legitimacy as a candidate.
The Utah Legislature passed a law this year requiring political campaigns that use AI in election materials to disclose the use of the emerging technology to voters, but that law didn't stop whoever is behind the phony video using Cox's voice and likeness to spread misinformation.
It's a pretty egregious example of the use of generative AI to mislead or misguide voters.
–Alan Fuller, Utah chief information officer
When asked whether Utah laws go far enough to regulate the use of AI, Fuller said, "I think it's a great start."
How to spot deep fakes
There are usually simple ways to tell if a video you see online is real or fake. To highlight a few of them, the KSL Investigators asked an expert to watch the fake video of Cox with us to point them out.
Brandon Amacher, director of the Emerging Tech Policy Lab at Utah Valley University's Center for National Security Studies, spotted several common clues.
"It's not the most convincing deep fake I have ever seen," he said, immediately pointing out the video's bland background.
"For AI, it is very difficult to imitate complex environments," he explained.
Amacher also noted the fake governor's torso doesn't move naturally with his head, and the microphone in the image moves awkwardly as if it's glued to his torso. Pausing the video on a single frame also revealed the unnatural way the fake governor blinked.
"I mean, I've never met a human being that blinks like that," Amacher said.
Other clues include a "Live News Live" logo on the video – which is not a real outlet.
Just because a deep fake doesn't have any of these signs that we're talking about isn't necessarily proof positive that it's authentic.
–Brandon Amacher, director of the Emerging Tech Policy Lab
And take a look at the pin on the fake governor's lapel.
"It looks like it was trying to be an American flag, but if you look at it closely, it's just kind of a blue blotch," Amacher said.
Beyond the visual clues, language choices in the video are uncharacteristic of Cox and hint that the creator doesn't have a strong grasp on how Utah's primary election process works.
"Just because a deep fake doesn't have any of these signs that we're talking about isn't necessarily proof positive that it's authentic," Amacher said. "But these are things that I think you should be aware of when consuming content. If something like this kind of triggers an alarm bell, take a closer look at it."
Despite all the obvious red flags, he said someone scrolling quickly through a social media feed might not take the time to notice or question what they see, but they could still be influenced by the fake content.
If Utahns do see something they are questioning online, he recommends seeking out the original source of the video. If a politician made a statement to a reputable news organization or spoke on-camera, that interview should be available on the organization's official website.
"The thing that's scary is with technology like this, it kind of happens gradually and then all at once," Amacher said. "The improvement will happen gradually over a period of time and then all of a sudden, you'll wake up one day and it's difficult to differentiate anymore."
UVU is currently testing a pilot program with Utah's federal candidates. It's a free web browser plugin that allows them to verify content that is real. Amacher said they'll be collecting data through the general election to see if it is a tool that works.
'What are people going to think?'
The KSL Investigators sat down with Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie in April to talk about how AI might influence Utah's elections. Nearby, a team of election workers was verifying signatures for candidate ballot petitions in statewide races.
McKenzie said then that he was worried about how easy it is to generate fake images and videos using AI.
A few weeks after our visit, the video depicting a fake Gov. Cox posted on X ahead of Utah's Republican primary election took aim at McKenzie himself.
The AI-generated governor is shown saying. "My opponent wants an audit, but here's the kicker, the Davis County Clerk, the lynchpin in all of this, is in my BFF Todd Weiler's district. I'm only nine votes from being disqualified. Todd's got my back and that clerk is in our corner."
"It's obviously not Governor Cox speaking. But it sounds like him, and it looks like him," McKenzie said, reacting to the video. "What are people going to think when they see this?"
When asked whether he is in anyone's corner, McKenzie responded, "Not at all. The only corner that I'm in is in the corner of honesty and integrity in the election process. That's my job as a county clerk."
A job that's made harder, he said, by those who spread misinformation online.
"When you have somebody that makes an unfounded comment or statement, it's destructive and damaging to the integrity of the overall process."
Have you experienced something you think just isn't right? The KSL Investigators want to help. Submit your tip at investigates@ksl.com or 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you.
