SAN FRANCISCO, USA — Elon Musk’s criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris has intensified in recent weeks, culminating in his use of artificial intelligence to further his attacks.
The billionaire entrepreneur and owner of X (formerly Twitter) posted an AI-generated image on Monday, September 16, 2024, depicting Harris in a communist uniform, complete with a hammer-and-sickle-emblazoned hat.
The post falsely claimed that Harris vowed to be a “communist dictator on day one.”
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Musk’s post, shared with his 196 million followers, appears to violate X’s own policies on manipulated content.
Yet, the image remained unflagged by the platform’s community notes feature, a fact-checking tool Musk had touted as central to combating misinformation.
The AI-generated image, which bore similarities to one shared by former President Donald Trump last month during the Democratic National Convention, is part of Musk’s broader campaign of disinformation and misogynistic content targeting Harris.
On Sunday, Musk posted another controversial statement that suggested only “high-status males” should participate in government, disparaging women and men with “low testosterone” as incapable of critical thinking.
A Platform for Radical Content
Musk’s posts have sparked outrage for amplifying disinformation and extremist views.
According to X data, the sexist post, reportedly originating from the notorious 4Chan website, was viewed by more than 19 million people within a day, while the AI-generated image of Harris reached nearly 60 million viewers.
Critics argue that Musk, who has publicly endorsed Trump and poured millions into a pro-Republican super PAC, is leveraging his platform to sway the political narrative ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Despite earlier claims that X would remain politically neutral, Musk’s posts and the platform’s failure to fact-check content have raised concerns about the platform’s integrity under his control.
“Musk’s lack of accountability on his own platform is troubling, particularly when he wields so much influence over public discourse,” said a political analyst.
“He’s normalising the spread of radical, sexist, and misleading content.”
Misinformation Amid Election Campaigns
The posts come amid growing scrutiny of X for its role in spreading disinformation.
In Brazil, authorities blocked access to the platform in response to the proliferation of misinformation aimed at undermining democracy.
Musk’s actions have raised alarms about X’s impact on the upcoming U.S. presidential election, where Harris is a key figure.
While Musk’s defenders argue that such posts are satirical, critics counter that the billionaire’s status as one of the most influential people in the world demands greater responsibility.
