Manipulated Deepfake Video of Lai Ching-te Endorsing Rivals in Lead-up to January Presidential Elections

In the lead-up to Taiwan's January 13, 2024 presidential election, deepfake videos were created using artificial intelligence and circulated on Taiwanese social media platforms. One notable deepfake showed presidential candidate Lai Ching-te appearing to endorse his two rivals, with stilted speech patterns that eventually led to its identification as AI-generated content. Another deepfake video purported to show current president Tsai Ing-wen advertising cryptocurrency investments, using voice synthesis and terminology common in China rather than Taiwan. These incidents were part of a broader Chinese influence operation that Taiwanese intelligence authorities reported had intensified as the election approached. According to intelligence briefings, senior Chinese officials including Wang Huning convened meetings to coordinate disinformation efforts, with the publicity department and a psychological warfare unit called 'Base 311' spearheading influence campaigns. Taiwan's fact-checking organizations, including MyGoPen and Cofacts, detected and debunked these deepfakes as part of their ongoing monitoring efforts. The deepfakes were designed to manipulate public opinion and undermine trust in democratic processes, targeting Taiwan's population of 23.5 million people who were eligible to vote in the election.