this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2025
426 points (99.3% liked)

politics

26807 readers
2528 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

The ad shows Maine Gov. Janet Mills giving little kids syringes with hormones. They couldn't use real video because that never happened.

Republicans are attacking Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) – who is running for the U.S. Senate – with a fake artificial intelligence (AI)-generated video of her giving a boy “a no-parent-permission-required estrogen kit.”

Mills has been a strong supporter of transgender rights this past year, refusing to bow to pressure from the president to ban trans kids from participating in school sports.

But instead of just criticizing her for her actual record of support for trans people, Republicans have decided to use deepfake videos.

top 47 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Madison420@lemmy.world 103 points 2 days ago

She should sue this is textbook defamation.

[–] lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world 74 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Cool, Sora’s cheap

Internet: do your thing

[–] GlitchyDigiBun@lemmy.world 60 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Just remake this exact ad with republicans and flood the internet with it. Literally build the same prompts until it's hella obvious.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 41 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Or just make deep fakes where Republicans do what they are literally doing, like taking food out of the mouths of children.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago (3 children)
[–] ozymandias@sh.itjust.works 51 points 2 days ago (1 children)

don’t… don’t fucking deepfake that

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

well, obviously not the act itself, but it can be very heavily implied

[–] ozymandias@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 days ago

don’t do it

[–] GlitchyDigiBun@lemmy.world 20 points 2 days ago

Let's not make virtual CSAM please... Especially given how much of that slips into training data... Jailbreaking models gives legit children...

[–] dirthawker0@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

Yanking IVs out of the arms of old people and throwing their medications out the window, laughing maniacally, then handing over wads of cash to Elon Musk, Clarence Thomas, etc

[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Exactly. They truly are doing heinous shit and always get to hide behind the fact that most people don't experience it so it's "not happening". One of the very few legit AI usages would be to make that fucked up shit feel real to conservatives. Who knows, maybe a handful of them would actually grapple with the monstrous acts they support.

[–] possumparty@lemmy.blahaj.zone 33 points 2 days ago

hear me out, let's stop fucking using trans people and hormones as some sort of "gotcha"

[–] DontRedditMyLemmy@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago (2 children)

If you're gonna deep fake on MAGA, make videos of Trump calling them dumb and how he controls them by making them feel smart. You gotta hit them in their existential dread. Of course they'll never see the videos because of echo chambers and cognitive dissonance, but the point is: intelligence insecurity is what makes them tick... and bigotry.

[–] guyoverthere123@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You don't need AI for that.

Trump has said that he likes a poorly education and that smart people don't like him.

And all the poorly educated cheered.

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

I'm pretty sure stupidity is a virtue for most of them. Intelligence is "woke"

[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 30 points 2 days ago (1 children)

...In 1993, apparently? Given the clothes, hair, and background decor.

[–] Bakkoda@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago

In a clothing store none the less

[–] SnarkoPolo@lemmy.world 26 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They just get to do anything they want. We're being ruled by spoiled jocks.

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago

"jocks" is being generous. These are the people who got kicked out of the intramural team, so they became the bully instead.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 25 points 2 days ago (2 children)

This is pure evil of them.

[–] Insekticus@aussie.zone 6 points 1 day ago

And their user base actually isn't sufficiently capable enough of determining these things as real or AI, and its going to get really really ugly.

[–] P1k1e@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Well they're pure evil

[–] daannii@lemmy.world 25 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

So there is a memory error called "source monitoring error". Basically what happens is we remember information, but not the source.

When this happens we can't evaluate the legitimacy of the information.

This happens to all of us , all the time. It's a very common memory error.

As you can imagine, the concern is, someone intentionally putting out false information can still be highly effective. And not just on gullible stupid people.

But effective on regular people with critical thinking skills. Because often we will forget the source. And accept the information.

What also happens is when we don't have a source, instead of stopping and questioning if the information we have is valid, we instead just accept it as "common knowledge".

It's a little tricky how that works. But think of all the knowledge you have about the world. Like. How clothes are made. Or how to change a light bulb.

Do you have a specific source memory for these? Probably not.

But when you think about changing out a light bulb, do you question your belief in how it's done because you can't remember where/when you learned how to do it?

No. Probably never.

So you might think , "I would notice if I had a belief and no source". But you actually wouldn't notice.

There are different kinds of memory. And general knowledge is just accumulated and is not necessarily verified for accuracy. And it definitely isn't verified every time you rely on it. You have to make a conscious effort to question your own knowledge and beliefs to challenge them.

It's not that easy to do. And most people won't be doing that.

The other comment about lawyers saying shit in court rooms that is dismissed is also exactly this.

By the end, the judge/jury won't actually critically evaluate that information. It will be used to weigh in on the decision.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source-monitoring_error https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Source_amnesia&wprov=rarw1

[–] LovingHippieCat@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago (2 children)

What fucking estrogen kit would that even be? It looks so fucking fake, needles haven't looked like that in decades. My estrogen needle and syringe is also tiny as fuck, there are two bottles in that kit, and only one bandaid that's already had the wrapping removed? This is the most obviously fake bullshit I have ever seen not just because of how dumb it is but because of how inaccurate that stuff is.

Also, two needles/syringes? Just two? So it's two doses? That's not much of a kit considering that'd be two weeks of a dose. Plus the syringes being so large shows they don't understand how little your dosage is, I take .3ml every Friday, that syringe is too large to even be able to draw so little and measure it accurately. Also I've never seen a bottle of estrogen that fucking big, they literally don't ship that large. I'm just. This is so fucking dumb.

[–] wide_eyed_stupid@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago

But you're not the target audience. Their target audience doesn't care about all those 'minor' details and they don't want to see how fake it is.

All they will see is something that verfies their bullshit beliefs and justifies their bigotry.

It kind of looks like an attempt at a sitcom parody, with no music. Unfortunately it's also all blatant lies.

[–] lemmylump@lemmy.world 22 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

It absolutely is, but I guarantee you no one will pursue it.

[–] myfunnyaccountname@lemmy.zip 21 points 2 days ago

This country is beyond fucked.

[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Here’s the thing:

This is the reason why attorneys will say objectionable shit during a trial that is “stricken” from the record and the jury is told to disregard it-

Once it’s said, it can’t be unheard.

And with this shit, it can’t be unseen. Especially when the audience are a bunch of slack-jawed knuckle-dragging mouth breathers.

So calling it out is pretty pointless. They already believe it and they don’t change their minds.

[–] webp@mander.xyz 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Who upvotes this stuff telling people calling shit out is pointless? Think for yourselves, damn.

[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Because by the time it’s already out there- calling it out IS pointless. The damage is already done. Those that would believe otherwise, wouldn’t have been stupid enough to believe it to begin with.

And when you break it down- it’s pretty weird to be judging others who upvote something as people who can’t think for themselves. I didn’t ask or tell them to, yet here you are doing exact that.

[–] AlphaOmega@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago

Sounds like some sort of defamation

[–] Bgugi@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

I love the single open bandaid strapped to the lid.

[–] I_Clean_Here@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Go the other way and make positive memes for the Dems, for fucks sake. Flood the Internet with good shit

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Spreading unfocused positivity doesn't succeed nearly as much as picking at someone's specific anger or insecurity and then validating it.

One makes people sigh and roll their eyes at inspirational quotes and the general feeling of being "shamed" by messaging that shows other people doing good things and for the insecure and angry, that just feels like being told "Why can't you be better?"

Meanwhile if you're is stressed and uneducated and hopeless feeling, being told that there is a specific group or segment of the population around you who is facilitating all your misery, well that's a call to action. That's a tangible thing you can get mad at and rage against and blame for your woes and it requires no actual work to get that feeling of satisfaction.

It's a survival response that companies and political entities have learned how to exploit and there's no quick answer for it. It may never be solved.

Maybe if all shifted our informational/media attention more towards understanding our own limitations and failings in our emotional/cognitive ability, we could start broadly pushing the needle towards systems that protect us from ourselves, but I strongly feel like we're going to slide backwards a good long ways before we start making any forward progress again. This is the long-arc of time, and part of coming to terms with the injustice is understanding we won't see that better tomorrow. We can work towards it and try to set it up for our descendants, but the best we can hope for in the moment is finding a little peace and comfort in our personal lives.

[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You are right and I agree. The problem here is that people just don't give a shit about what happens in the future.

I have two conservatives in my life. One of them is a childhood friend, the other is my boss. I argue with both of them regularly, and they've both said the same thing to me- "we'll be dead before it matters" roughly. The first has two kids and the second says he wants kids. I just don't get it.

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Maybe this is why times of uncertainty and fear of the future lead to authoritarianism, it makes people not care. If you don't care, you aren't curious, you're just grinding through the days to see if "something happens" and cannot live in the present because you're stuck worried about the future and longing for the past.

[–] Luxyr@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 days ago

The truth is less viral. If it doesn't make people upset and angry, they don't rage-share it or repost it.

[–] human@slrpnk.net 7 points 2 days ago

Mother-in-law texts incoming

[–] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

If only politicians actually were this based.

[–] CptOblivius@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Remember republicans hate immigrants more than child rapists/pedophiles. That is the type of people we are dealing with.

[–] WiseScorpio@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Democrats should run ads of Bondi and Johnson working feverishly to redact Trumps name from the E files and covering up capital crimes.

[–] hedge_lord@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I wish that the democrats were that cool. If I'd had access to something like that as a minor I would have used it and my life would be markedly better for it. I hate thinking about what could have been.

[–] Asidonhopo@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago

Mills is kind of a shit candidate (will be 80 years old if sworn in) and I'm seeing a pattern of Republicans attacking the worse candidate in a Democratic primary to make them more visible against their primary opponent. Another example, Jasmine Crockett against the clearly much better Talarico.