French President Emmanuel Macron used fake footage created using artificial intelligence to announce the start of a summit in Paris to discuss the ethics of using these technological innovations.
In a video he shared on social media, Macron reacts to edited fake footage of himself appearing in popular films and television series, saying they are "well done."
These videos have been circulating on social media in France in recent months.
Fake videos created with the help of artificial intelligence "can also be a form of abuse" for some people, Macron told Variety magazine in October.
Some experts question the use of such material and believe that normalizing their use would make it more difficult to recognize fake news.
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Macron shared several edited fake videos on Instagram, X and TikTok, in which his character appeared in a 1980s disco hit, in an influencer's hairstyle guide and as an action hero from the McGuire series.
The videos were seen by millions of users of these platforms.
They have been popular on social media for some time, so Macron has shown in this way that he accepts that he has become a meme in some circles of social media users.
“They were pretty well done and they made me laugh.
"But, speaking more seriously, with artificial intelligence we can achieve very big things: bring about changes in healthcare, energy and life in our society," the 47-year-old French president believes.
"France and Europe must be at the heart of this revolution and seize every opportunity, while promoting our principles," he added.
The video was released ahead of a two-day global summit on artificial intelligence that began in Paris on Monday.
The summit aims to bring together world leaders, tech company executives and scientists to examine the impact of artificial intelligence on society, government and the environment.
"The fake video of President Macron may seem like a harmless prank to promote the Paris summit, but it's not a good thing," said Paul McKay, principal analyst at Forrester, a technology advisory firm.
"The normalization of fake footage in this way should not be encouraged, as it leads to it being difficult to tell what is true and what is not, and how to distinguish reality from fiction," he adds.
And Richard Whittle from Salford Business School warns of the risks of "normalizing" videos created with artificial intelligence, "both for social media purposes and for fraud."
"It's great to draw attention to this threat, but if it's done in a way that shows how easy it is to make fake videos, then it risks them being used more often," says Whittle.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in "innovative ways, sometimes even playfully, as President Macron's announcement shows," says Professor Philip Howard, chairman of the International Panel on the Information Environment.
"These types of recordings are often released when public communication guidelines are not clear," he explains.
A debate has been sparked in the French media about whether Macron should trivialize such recordings, which can be used to harm others.
Footage made with the help of artificial intelligence "can spread incorrect information, and this harms our democracies," Macron pointed out in October.
This area should be regulated "by introducing responsibility for people who spread such content to exert influence," he added.
The recently introduced European Union Artificial Intelligence Act, which regulates its use, received criticism during the summit for allegedly introducing barriers to innovation.
The EU also announced the creation of a budget of 37,4 million euros for the creation of open-source artificial intelligence models.
A global declaration on shared goals and ethical responsibility regarding artificial intelligence will be issued at the end of the summit on Tuesday.
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