Video showing Biden ‘announcing’ compulsory military service is AI-generated
Video is an altered recreation of a previously AI-generated video
CLAIM
A video shared on X purports to show U.S. President Joe Biden announcing an order for compulsory military service amid heightened tensions with Iran and Russia.
BACKGROUND
On April 14, 2024, Jack Posobiec, a right-wing political activist and media personality, shared a clip on X.
In the video, Joe Biden appears to be speaking at a podium during a press conference or announcement.
He purportedly says: “The illegal Russian offensive has been swift, callous and brutal. It’s barbaric. Putin’s illegal occupation of Kyiv and the impending ground operation in Iran has created a two-front national security crisis that requires more troops than the volunteer military service can supply. I have received guidance from General Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, that the recommended way forward will be to invoke the Selective Service Act, as is my authority as president.”
The alleged statement continues: “The first to be called in a sequence determined by national lottery will be men and women whose 20th birthday falls during calendar year 2023. Remember, you’re not sending your sons and daughters to war, you’re sending them to freedom. God bless our troops and God bless Ukraine.”
The uploader has 2.5 million followers on X, and this post was viewed 2.8 million times on the platform.
It was posted on Sunday (U.S. time) in the aftermath of a major missile and drone strike on Israel the day before, which was carried out by Iran.
A flurry of social media activity followed the attack in the Middle East, with Iran and Israel both remaining the top trending topics on X for the full day on Sunday. There was also heightened speculation about how the U.S. might respond to the escalation.
METHOD
The visual appearance of Joe Biden’s mouth and the audio accompanying the clip indicate that the video has been altered using artificial intelligence.
A reverse image search of the video brings us to several different versions of the same clip.
The original version can be traced back to December 2021 and features President Biden delivering remarks on plans to lower the cost of insulin for people with diabetes.
An analysis of the video’s setting, Biden’s appearance and hand gestures, and the various camera angles used in shooting the clip show that this is the original, proving that any newer versions featuring the president making other remarks have been altered.
There is also an obvious cut in the ‘original’ AI-generated audio at 9 seconds, with the AI-voiced Biden speaking in a different tone when he purportedly says “ground operation in Iran.” This indicates that the reference to Iran was added after the latest development in the Middle East.
This led us to find an earlier version of this AI-generated clip, which was shared by The Post Millennial, a conservative Canadian outlet owned by Human Events, whose Senior Editor is Jack Posobiec.
The video shared by The Post Millennial on February 27, 2023, is almost the same as that shared on April 14, with Joe Biden “announcing” a military draft, but instead of making reference to Iran he mentions “the impending Chinese blockade of Taiwan”.
That version of the clip is clearly marked as AI-generated and features an explainer by Jack Posobiec explaining that the video was an “AI recreation” designed by his show’s producers “of what could happen if President Biden were to declare and activate the Selective Service Act”.
The U.S. Selective Service System, an agency that monitors citizens who may be subject to military conscription if the country decides to reinstate compulsory service, clearly states on its website that “there is no draft at present.”
Furthermore, Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff mentioned in the clip, left the job in September 2023. Charles Q. Brown is the current chair.
RATING
The video is an altered recreation of a previously AI-generated video, and its contents were untrue on both occasions.
SOURCES
X (formerly Twitter). (2024). Available at: UNREAL: “To combat Russia and Iran, the recommended way forward will be to invoke the Selective Service Act” [Accessed 16 Apr. 2024].
X (formerly Twitter). (2023). Available at: AI imagines what would happen if Biden declares and activates the Selective Service Act and begins drafting 20 years old to war [Accessed 16 Apr. 2024].
The White House (2021). Available at: President Biden Delivers Remarks on Lowering Insulin Costs. YouTube. [Accessed 16 Apr. 2024].
Selective Service System. (2024). Available at: Return to the Draft | Selective Service System. [online] [Accessed 16 Apr. 2024].