Introduction to OAN’s Use of AI-Generated Images
Wednesday evening on the Maga Cable Channel OAN, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defense, Kingsley Wilson, discussed with host Matt Gaetz a suspected increase in female military recruits. During the conversation, four pictures of soldiers were displayed on the screen, which were later found to be AI-generated images.
The AI-Generated Images
All four pictures were falsifications created using AI technology. The images seem to have been generated with Elon Musk’s GROK, as small watermarks were visible in the lower corners. The use of AI-generated images raises questions about the authenticity of the information presented on the show.
Discussion of Female Military Recruits
"These numbers are fantastic," said Wilson to Gaetz as the AI pictures scrolled on the screen. "Under the previous administration, we had around 16,000 female recruits last year. Now we have more than 24,000," she continued. "It is proof of the management of Secretary Hegseth and President Trump." However, the Pentagon has not officially published detailed data on female recruitment, although they did provide similar numbers to Fox News.
Response from the DOD
A DOD spokesman stated that the pictures were not provided by them. When asked about the origin of the photos and whether the network has guidelines regarding AI-generated content, OAN did not respond.
OAN’s History and Reputation
OAN, short for One America News, was launched in 2013 and quickly became a conspiracy-promoting, Maga-boosting outlet during Trump’s first administration. The network is known for promoting Trump’s 2020 election claims and has been involved in several defamation lawsuits. Last year, the network settled a lawsuit by the voting technology company Smartmatic, which claimed that the channel increased the ballot to "increase the number of spectators and income."
OAN’s Legal Issues
The network has also faced defamation lawsuits from a Dominion Voting Systems Executive, although it has suspended the company’s separate defamation lawsuit. OAN’s audience and income have decreased since 2022, but it received a PR boost earlier this year when Kari Lake, Trump’s selection for having a hollowed-out voice of America, said that OAN would offer VOA and other American international broadcaster "newsfeed services."
