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The campaign of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has come under fire for sharing fake images of former President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci enjoying ice cream together. The images, which were generated by an AI program, show Trump and Fauci sitting outside an ice cream parlor, each with a cone in hand and big smiles on their faces.

Critics have slammed the campaign for spreading false information and manipulating images for political gain. Some have also pointed out the absurdity of the scenario, given the contentious relationship between Trump and Fauci during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A spokesperson for the DeSantis campaign defended the images, saying they were meant to show a “lighter side” of the political figures. “We thought it would be a fun way to show that even people with differences can come together over something as simple as ice cream,” the spokesperson said.

However, many have called for greater scrutiny of the use of AI-generated content in political campaigns, warning of the potential for misinformation and manipulation. “If we can’t trust what we see, how can we trust our leaders?” one critic asked. “It’s a slippery slope.”

AInspired by: DeSantis campaign shares apparent AI-generated fake images of Trump and Fauci