Warning: This piece refers to scenes of violence from the start
When a video went viral appearing to show a Hungarian soldier's execution, its disturbing nature came as a shock to anyone who saw it.
Ahead of pivotal Hungarian elections on Sunday 12 April, the AI-generated, fake clip was posted on the social media accounts of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party in February.
It tells the story of a young girl at a window yearning for her father's return from war, and then cuts to him - blindfolded, bound by the hands, and then shot by his captors.
The video targeted Orbán's election rival, Péter Magyar, who could unseat him after 16 years in office. The Fidesz campaign has made unsubstantiated claims about the war in Ukraine and Magyar's intentions, at times using AI-generated videos like this, even marking it clear that the video is fake.
The video is an AI video, but the war is really horrible, it states. Péter Magyar doesn't want you to see this video. He doesn't want you to see what an irreversible tragedy it is to join a war. Fidesz alleges that Magyar, from the center-right party Tisza, will bring Russia's war against Ukraine to its doorstep if elected, even using pension money to support Ukraine and imposing forced conscription.
Such narratives have been widely rejected by Magyar and his party Tisza. In its manifesto, it pledges it will not send troops to Ukraine and does not plan to revive conscription.
In response to queries about the AI execution video, Fidesz has not commented. Támas Menczer, the communications director of the Fidesz-KNDP alliance, hinted at potential dangers tied to Magyar's victory, claiming it would endanger Hungarian lives due to his support for military involvement in Ukraine.
Magyar condemned the Fidesz video as heartless manipulation, asserting that it crossed all limits. Experts have noted the widespread use of AI to generate misleading content in political campaigns is a new and troubling trend.
Despite the ruling party's aggressive disinformation campaigns, opinion polls indicate that Magyar is leading. The upcoming elections may determine not only the future of Hungarian politics but also the veracity and utilization of AI technology in political discourse moving forward.
