ChatGPT now lets users create fake images of politicians. We stress-tested it [Video]

New updates to ChatGPT have made it easier than ever to create fake images of real politicians, according to testing done by CBC News.

Manipulating images of real people without their consent is against OpenAI’s rules, but the company recently allowed more leeway with public figures, with specific limitations. CBC’s visual investigations unit found prompts could be structured to evade some of those restrictions. 

In some cases, the chatbot effectively told reporters how to get around its restrictions — for example, by specifying a speculative scenario involving fictional characters — while still ultimately generating images of real people.  

For example, CBC News was able to generate fake images of Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Pollievre appearing in friendly scenarios with a criminal and controversial political figures.  

Aengus Bridgman, assistant professor at McGill University and director of the Media Ecosystem Observatory, notes the risk in the recent proliferation of fake images online. 

“This is the first election where generative AI has …