Donald Trump, ever the outspoken former President, recently voiced his concerns about artificial intelligence, labeling it a “disinformation weapon” used by Iran. He took to his familiar platform, Truth Social, and later reiterated to reporters on Air Force One, claiming Iran is deploying AI to twist narratives about its real or imagined wartime triumphs and garner support. This isn’t just a casual observation; Trump believes there’s a coordinated effort, without offering concrete proof, between Western media and Iran to push AI-generated “fake news.” His comments come at a sensitive time, as tensions simmer between the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and broadcasters. The FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, has even issued a stern warning, threatening to revoke licenses from media outlets that don’t “correct course” on their coverage of the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. This isn’t new territory for Trump, who has a long history of accusing news organizations of bias when their reporting doesn’t align with his views, often suggesting their licenses should be pulled.
On that particular Sunday, Trump pointed to three specific instances where he felt Iran had wielded AI to mislead the global public. First, he asserted that Iran had showcased “kamikaze boats” that, in his opinion, simply don’t exist. Following that, he accused Iran of using AI to fabricate a successful attack on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, going so far as to suggest that any publications amplifying this false claim should face treason charges. However, these claims are met with a different reality; Reuters, a reputable news agency, has actually verified images from the Iraqi port of Basra, depicting explosive-laden Iranian boats attacking two fuel tankers, an incident that tragically resulted in at least one crew member’s death. While Iranian state media did indeed claim to have struck the USS Abraham Lincoln, this specific assertion wasn’t widely picked up or corroborated by Western news sources.
Trump’s third example related to imagery supposedly showing a massive rally of “250,000” Iranians in support of the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. He dismissed these images as “totally AI generated” and declared that the event “never took place.” It’s true that there have been several pro-government demonstrations in Iran since the conflict began, but a quick search by Reuters revealed no Western reports mentioning a figure as high as 250,000 attendees. What has been reported, by many media organizations including Reuters, are news photos depicting crowds in Tehran following Khamenei’s appointment. Curiously, Trump didn’t specify which particular news reports from Iran he was referring to when making these sweeping allegations. This whole situation highlights the growing challenges of discerning truth from fiction in an increasingly interconnected world, especially when powerful tools like AI can be repurposed for propaganda.