Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa unapologetically shared an AI-generated video of Filipino students opposing the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The 30-second clip he reposted on Sunday, June 15, quickly raked in millions of views, as well as thousands of comments and shares from users who assumed it was real.
The video depicted a fabricated man-on-the-street interview featuring AI-generated students being asked whether they supported the impeachment. The fake students said they were against it, arguing that the Office of the Vice President was being “singled out” over confidential funds.
When Dela Rosa shared the video on Facebook, his caption suggested he may have been unaware it was AI-generated, despite the original post including the hashtag “#AI.”
Officials sharing AI videos?
The post drew criticism from users who warned that, given his position, sharing such misleading content could cause many to believe videos like that are real.
Instead of addressing the video’s authenticity directly, Dela Rosa responded to a comment with a noncommittal “kung (if).” He said what mattered more was the message, which he agreed with, regardless of its authenticity.
Filipino journalist Regine Cabato, who covers disinformation and influence operations, told Philstar.com in a message that officials like Dela Rosa have a “higher responsibility” not to become “superspreaders” of fake content.
How to spot. In the comment section of Dela Rosa’s post, some social media users were also quick to tell him that the video he shared was AI-generated. Others even posted their analyses showing telltale signs of artificial manipulation.
Among the red flags were the nonsense, unreadable text on the student’s polo, which bore two different logos, the garbled names of nearby street vendors and distorted tricycle plate numbers.
Why it’s harmful. Experts have repeatedly warned that the rapid rise of deepfakes and AI-generated content is fueling disinformation campaigns, many of which are profit-driven, as incentivized by the monetization of views and engagement.
In the Philippines, deepfakes featuring influential public figures have been weaponized to either polish reputations or smear them with false claims. It has also been observed during the past elections.
Read the full story on Philstar.com.