Lots of the well-known and ultra-wealthy are endorsing and throwing cash at both Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump. Simply final night time, The New York Occasions reported Microsoft founder Invoice Gates quietly donated a whopping $50 million to the Harris marketing campaign.
However one of many world’s richest males fully refuses to disclose his assist for any candidate: Warren Buffett. And it’s most likely not for a purpose you’d anticipate. It has nothing to do with any potential hits to his enterprise which may come from supporting one candidate over the opposite; it’s as a result of he’s pissed off with folks impersonating him on-line. He’s so anxious, in reality, that Berkshire Hathaway added a assertion to the entrance web page of its antiquated web site to clear the air about their chairman and CEO’s political and funding product endorsements.
“In light of the increased usage of social media, there have been numerous fraudulent claims regarding Mr. Buffett’s endorsement of investment products as well as his endorsement and support of political candidates,” the assertion reads. “Mr. Buffett does not currently and will not prospectively endorse investment products or endorse and support political candidates.”
The priority comes simply weeks after New York Legal professional Normal Letitia James issued a warning about funding scams utilizing AI-manipulated movies and deepfakes supposed to deceive potential buyers.
“Sophisticated scammers are using AI to impersonate trusted business leaders and scam vulnerable New Yorkers out of their hard-earned money,” James mentioned in an Aug. 29 assertion. “Manipulated videos advertising phony investment scams are spreading like wildfire on social media.”
One such AI-generated video reveals Buffett showing to advertise a “Bitcoin giveaway” on Fox Information. The outlet confirmed the clip was pretend and was by no means really aired.
“I don’t even know how to get on Instagram,” Buffett advised CNBC. “Anything they see with my image or my voice, it just ain’t me.”
In one other assertion only a week later, James additionally warned of fraudulent political endorsements.
“AI-created deepfakes that spread lies about candidates, policy proposals, and even where New Yorkers can access the polls all represent a dangerous threat to democracy,” she mentioned in a Sept. 9 assertion.
Deepfakes may affect the presidential election
Different billionaires and celebrities have fallen sufferer to deepfakes this yr, together with Trump, Taylor Swift, Elon Musk, Joe Biden, Will Smith, Beyoncé, and Mark Zuckerberg. In actual fact, the issue has gotten so extreme a brand new public-service marketing campaign that includes actor Rosario Dawson and different Hollywood stars together with Chris Rock, Laura Dern, Michael Douglas, Amy Schumer, and Jonathan Scott launched this week aiming to alert People to not be fooled by the AI-generated deepfakes.
“No one should come between an American and their vote,” Dawson advised NBC Information in a press release. “Unfortunately, it’s safe to say people are going to try.”
Political consultants Julius van de Laar and Craig Oliver have been warning of the hazards of synthetic intelligence’s affect on the election for the reason that spring. Talking at Fortune’s Brainstorm AI convention in April, they mentioned deepfakes may alter the end result of the 2024 presidential election.
“The problem is this space is almost completely unregulated. You’re in a situation where there are no rules. And the truth about politics is if there isn’t a rule someone will say, ‘Well, my opponent will use it if I don’t’,” mentioned Oliver, world co-head of technique and popularity at communications consultancy FGS International. “It becomes a race to the bottom.”
