Deepfake video of German chancellor sparks angry reaction

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - A deepfake video of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday sparked an angry reaction from the government.

The deepfake generated by artificial intelligence shows Scholz appearing to address the nation, announcing that the government will try to outlaw the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Activists from the Center for Political Beauty art collective, who prepared the deepfake video, shared the clip on social media platforms and their campaign website to outlaw the AfD.

The group has a history of playing elaborate pranks on far-right parties and politicians, such as in September 2021, when they won a contract to distribute a million AfD campaign flyers, and instead delivered them to the party offices two days before an election.

Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit heavily criticized the activists for this latest move, warning that such actions would undermine public trust in media sources.

“The video is not real. Deepfakes like this are no fun. They are manipulative and they stir up insecurity,” he said on social media platform X.