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In late September, President Donald Trump posted a racist AI-generated video depicting House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries standing before a podium, wearing a Sombrero and mustache, while Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer says insulting things about Democrats. In mid-October, the government of Ontario aired an anti-tariff ad in the U.S. featuring a clip of Ronald Reagan hammering home the futility of imposing tariffs on foreign goods. Trump charged, erroneously, that the video was an AI deepfake — Reagan, he claimed, in fact supported tariffs. While these two incidents — the first is AI disinformation, the second is labeling anothers video as such — may seem unrelated, theyre actually very much linked. This is more than just Trump lying and assuming others lie too. In fact, his dissemination of deepfakes and his accusations of deepfakery work together as parts of the same disinformation strategy. The first part of the strategy is the distribution of high volumes of lies and half-truths via campaign speeches, social media, ads, or TV appearances. The second part is the continual labeling of actual news stories from legitimate outlets as fake news. Recall what Steve Bannon told the writer Michael Lewis in 2018: The real opposition is the media, the Trump advisor said, adding And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit, he said. AI-generated deepfakes represent a dangerous technology upgrade to that same disinformation playbook. In the Schumer videos, Trumps circle spread the narrative that power-hungry Democrats want to provide healthcare benefits to illegal immigrants. In the case of the Ontario tiff, Trump labeled a credible video as an AI fake. As Trump and his allies create more of their own deepfakes, further sullying the information space, people are more likely to believe that real videos are fake too. [A] skeptical public will be primed to doubt the authenticity of real audio and video evidence, legal experts Danielle Keats Citron and Robert Chesney wrote in a 2019 law review article. This skepticism can be invoked just as well against authentic as against adulterated content, a problem Citron and Chesney dubbed the liars dividend. The problem may intensify as AI models improve and generate video indistinguishable from real, camera-shot video. As the line between truth and lies disappears, news consumers seeking objective truth eventually grow fatigued. For those who want to create an environment where disinformation thrives, that is a very good result — and not at all a new idea. The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction no longer exists, Hannah Arendt wrote in The Origins of Totalitarianism, her 1951 book chronicling the rise of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. So far, much of the AI-generated video produced or shared by Trump and his allies — like the recent one of the president in a fighter jet dropping excrement on thousands of No Kings demonstrators — has been quite obviously fake. Much of it reprises classic own the libs memes. But the administration has been edging toward deepfakes designed to deceive. In mid-October, Trump loyalists in the National Republican Senate Committee, hoping to blame Democrats for the ongoing shutdown, produced a deepfake video showing Schumer saying every day it gets better for us, words taken out of context from a print interview Schumer did with Punchbowl News. The implication: that the Democrats care only about scoring political points during the standoff, not about the damage it has done — and will continue to inflict — on normal Americans.All that separates that video from being a pure deepfake is the fact that the (AI-generated) senator is shown vocalizing his own words. At the end of the video, Schumer smiles broadly, suggesting that he is cynically enjoying the shutdown. That smile is all AI. While some states, including California, Minnesota, Texas, and Washington, have added specific language prohibiting AI deepfakes to their election laws, the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) has not followed suit. The FEC considered passing a new regulation specifically targeting deceptive AI-generated content in 2023, but dropped the idea in favor of relying on existing rules on deceptive campaign media, fearing that broadly banning AI-generated content might be beyond its jurisdiction, and that any rulemaking might fail to withstand legal challenges based on free speech rights. On the Hill, Minnesotas Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar explicitly warned about AI-generated deepfakes in elections in 2024. Like any emerging technology, AI has great opportunities but also significant risks . . .and we have to put rules in place, she said in a hearing in April of 2024. In 2024, Klobuchar and Alaskas Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski co-sponsored the AI Transparency in Elections Act, which sought to require disclaimers on political ads that use AI-generated or modified imagery or audio. The bill never made it out of committee. Many AI companies have included in their terms-of-service rules against using their generative models to create synthetic media that imitates real people without their consent. Most have used some form of visual watermark or hidden data to indicate that an image is AI-generated. However, sources say that its not hard to find an open-source model that uses none of these safeguards. Meanwhile, numerous experts have expressed concern that as AI tools mature and become more accessible, more people (including foreign actors) have the resources they need to actively spread falsehoods about political issues, causes, candidates, or campaigns. A 2024 Harvard survey found that 83% of respondents (n=1,000) worried that AI could be used to spread false election-related information. In a tight congressional election next year, and especially in the 2028 presidential election, all restraint could go out the window. Think he wouldnt go that far? According to the Washington Post, Trump made more than 30,000 false or misleading statements during his first term. He was willing to see the Capitol mobbed and defaced if it meant staying in office. To Trump, a truth is no better than a lie, no matter the format. Theyre both just a means to more power.
Category:
E-Commerce
Over the past several days, millions of low-income Americans who use SNAP, the nations biggest food aid program, have been left wondering how they will pay for basic necessities this month amidst the ongoing government shutdown. Today, they have an update: In a court filing submitted on November 3, the Trump administration said that it would pay just 50% of recipients normal allotments this month. Last year, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program helped 41 million people (or about 1 in 8 Americans) buy their groceries, nearly two-thirds of whom were families with children. To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a family of fours net income cant exceed the federal poverty line of around $31,000 per year. Normally, the debit cards that SNAP recipients use to buy food at participating stores are loaded each month by the federal government. But amidst the ongoing government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) planned to freeze payments to SNAP on November 1, citing a lack of funding. However, just a day prior to the freeze, two federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled that the government had to extend the funding, offering the Trump administration some leeway on whether to offer full or partial funding in November. Now, the Trump administration says it will use money from an Agriculture Department contingency fund to offer partial payments for Novemberthough the exact timeline of the funds distribution remains uncertain. Heres what to know: Why were SNAP benefits about to freeze? This new announcement follows an ongoing back-and-forth over whether the federal government had a legal obligation to continue providing SNAP funding despite the government shutdown, which has been in effect since October 1. On one side, the Trump administration said it wasnt allowed to use a USDA contingency fund with about $5 billion in it for the program, which reversed a USDA plan from before the shutdown that said money would be tapped to keep SNAP running. On the other, Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states said that money from the contingency fund couldand mustbe used, arguing in a legal finding on October 28 that the USDA could also tap into another appropriated fund worth about $23 billion for the cause. Ultimately, two federal courts came down in favor of using contingency funding for SNAP. In Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell ruled that the government must use emergency reserves to backfill SNAP benefits, requiring an update from the administration by November 3. “There is no doubt, and it is beyond argument, that irreparable harm will begin to occurif it hasn’t already occurredin the terror it has caused some people about the availability of funding for food for their family,” McConnell said during the hearing, according to ABC News. In the Boston, Massachusetts case, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani called the SNAP suspension unlawful, similarly calling for contingency funds to be used for the program. What’s happening now? In response to these rulings, the Trump administration said in its own filing that it plans to use the $5 billion contingency fund to pay 50% of eligible households current allotments, adding that the expenditure will mean “no funds will remain for new SNAP applicants certified in November, disaster assistance, or as a cushion against the potential catastrophic consequences of shutting down SNAP entirely.” The administration opted against tapping into the additional funds identified by Democrats to pay the monthly benefits in full. Normally, the USDA spends $8 billion per month on the program. So far, its unclear when SNAP recipients will have access to the half funding. In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, said of the distribution, Theres a process that has to be followed. So, we got to figure out what the process is. President Trump wants to make sure that people get their food benefits. Meanwhile, local food banks, shelters, and state governments have been scrambling to prepare for an influx of hungry people. States including Louisiana, New Mexico, Vermont, New York, and Nevada have all acted to provide emergency funding for residents in need, while smaller organizations like food pantries are working overtime to get ready. When you take SNAP away, the implications are cataclysmic, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of the nationwide food bank network Feeding America, told the AP last week. I assume people are assuming that somebodys going to stop it before it gets too bad. Well, its already too bad. And its getting worse.
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E-Commerce
Last week, Amazon became the latest company to announce massive layoffs. In a memo, senior vice president of people experience and technology, Beth Galetti, revealed that the company would let go of approximately 14,000 employees, citing AI innovations and a fast-changing world. “This generation of AI is the most transformative technology weve seen since the Internet, and it’s enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before (in existing market segments and altogether new ones),” Galetti wrote. “Were convinced that we need to be organized more leanly, with fewer layers and more ownership, to move as quickly as possible for our customers and business.” Amazon is hardly the only company shedding employees. UPS cut 48,000 jobs this year, and just days before Amazon’s announcement, Target eliminated 1,800 corporate roles after a turbulent year. And while Amazon’s recent announcement blamed AI for the move, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy had suggested otherwise. Last week, Jassy said on an earnings call that the layoffs were about the company slimming down and speeding up. The announcement that we made a few days ago was not really financially driven, and its not even really AI-driven, not right now at least, he said about the job cuts. Its culture. Jassy added that, when thinking about transformation, its important to be lean, its important to be flat, and its important to move fast. Still, Amazon’s own numbers suggest that the company may be preemptively slimming down to pay for its technological advances. “Free cash flow decreased to $14.8 billion for the trailing twelve months, driven primarily by a year-over-year increase of $50.9 billion in purchases of property and equipment, net of proceeds from sales and incentives,” according to an October 30 news release revealing Amazon’s third quarter financial results. It’s true the company is majorly ramping up its spending, specifically around its Trainium2 chip subscriptions and data center expansion. Chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky said during the firm’s earnings call on Thursday that the company would be very aggressive in spending on data centers, investing $125 billion this year and said he expects the amount “will increase in 2026.” Since the Amazon layoffs hit the news, many have taken to social media to offer their own explanations for the company’s reorganization. “Time for your periodic layoff reminder: do not take seriously the stated ‘reasons’ for layoffs,” Drew Harry, vice president of data science at Thumbtack, wrote in a social media post. “Amazon laying off corporate staff is not proof of anything regarding realized AI efficiencies or management inefficiency. They can say whatever they want.” Harry added, “The only explanation you really need is that Amazon wants to cut costs and (likely) redeploy the money elsewhere.”
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E-Commerce
Last week, YouTube TV ditched over 20 Disney-owned channels, after the two companies failed to reach a new content distribution deal ahead of the deadline. But now, YouTube TV is trying to make it up to subscribers who are reeling from their diminished viewing options. According to multiple reports, YouTube TV seems to be (quietly) offering $10 credits on subscriber bills for six months, for a total savings of $60. But there’s a catch, which is that that credit won’t be automatically applied. It looks like users will have to do some digging through your YouTube TV account’s settings in order to opt in. Here’s how to check for the credit: According to TechRadar, you’ll need to login your YouTube TV account on desktop in order to find out if your account will receive the credit. Go to ‘Settings’ and select ‘Membership’, then ‘Manage Plan’. If the credit is available, you should see a message that says “Redeem your offer.” When you accept, the credit should appear on your next statement. However, dozens of Reddit sleuths who have already tried to redeem the credit have come up empty, indicating that everyone may not be eligible. Customers are still disgruntled Either way, many users don’t feel that $10 a month makes up for losing over 20 channels they are paying for, like ABC, Disney Channel, FX, Nat Geo, as well as popular live sports channels. “$10 aint gonna cut it for no ESPN,” one commenter wrote on a popular Reddit thread. “At a bare minimum its going to cost $30 to get ESPN, so thats a starting point. Add an extra $10/mo for the hassle and a $40 discount is what it would take for sports fans to stay with YTTV.” Confusing credits The $10 credit has also confused some users, especially because YouTube first proposed a $20 credit on Oct 23. “We know this is a frustrating and disappointing outcome for our subscribers and we continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV. If their content remains off YouTube TV for an extended period of time, well offer subscribers a $20 credit.” Fast Company reached out to Google to find out the exact credit YouTube TV users can expect to see, but did not hear back by the time of publication. An ongoing dispute Previously Fast Company reached out to Google over the dispute and was directed to an Oct. 23 YouTube statement. Last week, Disney used the threat of a blackout on YouTube TV as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices on our customers, the post on YouTubes blog read. Theyre now following through on that threat, suspending their content on YouTube TV. This decision directly harms our subscribers while benefiting their own live TV products, including Hulu + Live TV and Fubo. Unsurprisingly, Disney pointed the blame at Google. “Unfortunately, Googles YouTube TV has chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC. With a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms weve successfully negotiated with every other distributor.” The two companies remain in talks. And, in a statement provided to Deadline, a Disney spokesperson said the company asked YouTube to restore ABC to the service for election day on Nov. 4. Despite the impasse that led to the current blackout, we have asked YouTube TV to restore ABC for Election Day so subscribers have access to the information they rely on. We believe in putting the public interest first and hope YouTube TV will take this small step for their customers while we continue to work toward a fair agreement. Google did not immediately respond to Fast Company’s request for comment.
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E-Commerce
Global competitors are pouring billions into agricultural research and emerging technologies, while American farmers are being asked to do more with less. The pressure on farmers is real: Net farm income for row crop producers remains persistently low, public investment in agricultural research has plummeted to 1970s levels, and the technologies that could reshape our industry too often stall before reaching the farm gate. At Land OLakes Inc., we believe theres a better way forward rooted in cooperation, trust, and a ground up approach to innovation. We believe the cooperative mindset is what it will take to overcome the challenges ahead. Its a mindset that shows up in how we invest, innovate, and grow. For example, our recent announcement of AgRogue Growth Partners shows how we aim to harness the strength of the cooperative model by working together with our local agricultural retail owners to fast-track the discovery, investment, and adoption of breakthrough technologies. This isnt simply a funding initiative. Its channeling deep, generations-old relationships and a mindset of continuous productivity improvements to better support the businesses, farmers, and communities that feed the world. REAL INNOVATION STARTS WITH SYSTEM-LEVEL THINKING The future of agriculture depends on our ability to bring stability and predictability to an industry that too often feels like a roller coaster. The pressures were facingweather volatility, rising input costs, and international competition wont be solved by any single tool or tactic. We need system-level thinking and long-term partnerships. Innovation shouldnt be about chasing the next shiny object. Its about helping farmers make smarter, lower-risk decisions, acre by acre, season by season. Whether thats through precise application technologies, AI-powered insights or new business models that reduce exposure, our innovation-focused goals should be simple: Make farming more resilient and more profitable for those who feed the world. HOW TO CRACK THE CODE TO FARMGATE ADOPTION The problem isnt a lack of ideas. Every year, new technologies emerge with the potential to transform how we farm, from AI-powered analytics to cutting-edge crop inputs. But the simple truth is that many promising solutions never scale, not because they dont work but because they cant break through the noise, earn trust, or integrate into the systems growers rely on. Bringing local agricultural retailers and producers together for pilot testing and performance discussions is central to finding practical and scalable solutions. Sitting at the kitchen table with farmers provides invaluable data and feedbackthey know the land, the seasons, and the day-to-day pressures associated with the crop or livestock they raise. When innovation flows through this channel, its far more likely to be understood, adopted, and create lasting value. Ultimately, retailer partners provide the local support, operational know-how, and market access that startups crave as they look to scale innovation. Weve seen it work time and again with the latest innovations in seed and crop protection; theres no reason we cant do it again with the most promising ag tech solutions. The last-mile connection between innovation and implementation is where a cooperative structure and retailer network will truly shine. A CALL TO COLLABORATE The challenges facing agriculture and Americas farm families are not something any one business can solve alone. It will take cooperation and cross-sector partnerships to ensure U.S. agriculture remains globally competitive. So, the cooperative approach offers a blueprint worth consideringespecially for industries wrestling with the same adoption gaps and trust barriers that agriculture faces. Capital alone isnt enough. Relationships matter. Local connections matter. And innovation that ignores the end user is destined to stall. Our message is clear: If youre building for the farm, you need to build with the farmer by tapping into the systems they already trust. True success in agriculture depends on solutions that work where it countsin the hands of farmers. Brett Bruggeman is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Land OLakes, Inc.
Category:
E-Commerce
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