Home » News » Fake Mugshot of Former President Donald Trump: A Warning about AI-Generated Images

Fake Mugshot of Former President Donald Trump: A Warning about AI-Generated Images

Since last week, a larger than life “mugshot” of the former American president in cell has caused a lot of reaction. But beware of appearances: this is an image generated by artificial intelligence.

“Fake news !“, as he could write in capital letters on his social networks. Donald Trump is more than ever at the heart of American political news: charged four times in less than six months, the former president is due to appear Thursday, August 24 in Georgia: He is to report to local authorities in the southern state of the United States following his indictment for alleged electoral fraud.

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Since the announcement of this new judicial act, on August 14, many have been waiting for an image: the famous “mugshot”, this face and profile photo of the police, of Donald Trump. And some images are misleading. Thus, the next day, August 15, several photomontages – more or less well done – showed the former president in cell. And one of them notably circulated on X, formerly Twitter, and was massively shared and re-shared.

Hair, eyes, orange complexion… Everything is there. However, this portrait of Donald Trump, despite all the possible resemblances is false: it was generated by artificial intelligence software. Quickly spotted by specialists and the press across the Atlantic, this “mugshot” indeed has some details that betray it, and in particular, the background with letters painted on an unrealistic wall.

Behind this image: Michael Steele, a former chairman of the National Committee of the Republican Party in the United States. Moreover, in his post, he denounces: “And now indictments have been handed down in Georgia for a racketeering conspiracy to steal the 2020 election. This is the former and future Republican Party nominee for President of the United States. Pathetic.”

On the eve of a new key day for Donald Trump, in Georgia, caution is therefore in order: the former American president has already been represented in various postures more real than life – in particular images of chase with police on the streets of New York – by specialized AI users, such as Midjourney or Dall-E.

“No matter your status, we will be ready to take your picture”

Still, the realization of this famous long-awaited “mugshot” – and in particular for the historical side, since such a legal event against a former American president did not take place – seems to be combined with the very conditional conditional: if Donald Trump will make himself available to the Georgia authorities who have charged him on Thursday, August 24, he will emerge free from Fulton County Jail, notorious for the mortality of inmates and its unsanitary conditions. Like the 18 other accused of illicit attempts to reverse the result of the 2020 election in this key state in the south-east of the country, the ex-president has until Friday to officially give himself up as a prisoner. But he will escape detention anyway under an agreement on the payment of a bond of 200,000 dollars.

But it is still difficult to determine which exceptions to common law he could benefit from because of his status. The rules in force throughout the United States provide for the taking of fingerprints and, therefore, two photos of the defendant.

Already criminally charged three times in separate cases, Donald Trump has so far managed to evade during his appearances in New York, Florida and the federal capital Washington the humiliating ritual of the “mugshot”, by mainly because of its notoriety. But Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said earlier this month he wanted to treat all defendants the same. “No matter your status, we’ll be ready to take your picture.”he said.

And then, finally, perhaps more embarrassing for the coquettish Trump: the procedure, to which two of the 19 defendants already submitted on Tuesday, also provides for the recording in the archives of the prison administration of the color of skin and eyes, but also the height and… the weight of each. A subject that can annoy the former president who always wants to show himself in his best light.

2023-08-23 14:10:27


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