Lesson Plan: AI-Generated Media in Political Campaigns
Objectives:
- Students will be able to identify AI-generated media.
- Students will be able to evaluate the credibility of AI-generated media.
- Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills to evaluate political media.
Introduction:
- Begin by asking students what they know about AI-generated media.
- Explain that AI-generated media is created using artificial intelligence, which is a type of technology that can learn and make decisions on its own.
- AI-generated media can be used to create realistic images, videos, and audio recordings.
- This technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and it is becoming more difficult to tell the difference between real and AI-generated media.
Identifying AI-generated media:
- Look at the material and video below.
- Look for other examples online.
Republicans’ anti-Biden advertisement made ‘entirely’ with AI
A challenge in political media in 2024 will certainly include how we navigate artificial intelligence. With new advancements in AI technology, a big concern is its use in social media and contribution to misinformation — it is rapidly evolving and easy to make convincing audio, images or text. A recent example is the fake AI-generated images of former president Donald Trump being arrested that circulated on social media. Source The Washington Post
Here are a few tips to help tell if an image is fake:
- Look at the hands. AI software has a history of generating human hands with too many fingers or other glitches.
- Is there garbled text? Look for “gibberish” writing on objects like street signs or billboards.
- Scan the background. AI-generated images may have blurry or distorted details, especially in the background. Source: Shira Ovide
The Republican National Committee on Tuesday published its first attack advertisement in response to US President Joe Biden launching his re-election bid, featuring images and audio “built entirely” by artificial intelligence. The video shows a fake photo of Mr Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris celebrating an election win in November 2024 with a caption reading: “What if the weakest president we’ve ever had were re-elected?” It then shows images of a dystopian future — the collapse and closure of American banks, Taipei under attack, a flood of migrants crossing the US border and crime overwhelming San Francisco — under Mr Biden’s potential second term. Throughout the video, fake news reports can be heard describing the scenarios seen in the images. There is a small disclaimer in white text in a corner of the video, which reads: “Built entirely with AI imagery.” Source: Thenationalnews.
Evaluating the credibility of AI-generated media:
- Once students have had a chance to identify AI-generated media, discuss with them how to evaluate the credibility of this type of media.
- Some tips for evaluating the credibility of AI-generated media include:
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- Look for signs that the media has been manipulated. For example, AI-generated images may have blurry or distorted details, and AI-generated videos may have unnatural movements.
- Check the source of the media. If the source is unknown or unreliable, it is more likely to be fake.
- Use common sense. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Applying critical thinking skills:
- Finally, discuss with students how to apply critical thinking skills to evaluate political media.
- Political media is often designed to persuade people to vote for a certain candidate or support a certain cause.
- It is important to be aware of the techniques that are used to persuade people and to be able to evaluate the credibility of the information that is presented.
- Some tips for applying critical thinking skills to political media include:
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- Be aware of your own biases. Everyone has biases, and it is important to be aware of them so that you can avoid letting them influence your judgment.
- Consider the source of the information. Is the source credible? Is there a reason why the source might be biased?
- Look for evidence to support the claims that are being made. Is there any evidence that contradicts the claims?
- Ask questions. If you don’t understand something, ask for clarification.
Conclusion:
- Conclude the lesson by summarizing the key points that have been discussed. Share the findings here. Padlet
- Emphasize the importance of being able to identify and evaluate AI-generated media, and to apply critical thinking skills to political media.
Assessment:
- Write a campaign idea for a candidate with a plan on how to use AI.