With the general election in Jamaica just two weeks away and campaigning by the two main political parties in fever-pitch mode, there is plenty at stake.

Will the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) secure a record third term, or will this spell the return of the People’s National Party (PNP) as a major political force in Jamaica?

Over the last ten years, political campaigning has vastly changed in Jamaica, with greater emphasis placed on social media and the use of technology rather than utilising traditional media and hustings up and down the country.

The JLP effectively employed digital strategies in 2016 with Matthew Samuda and Delano Seivright at the spearhead. It may have contributed to getting the JLP  over the line against a Portia Simpson Miller-led PNP, which was more traditional in its approach.

Digital technology has moved on considerably since then, and with mobile phone penetration at well over 90 per cent, political messaging can now reach far more people. 

Now add to that artificial intelligence (AI), and it’s a whole new ball game. Truth and veracity are no longer watchwords to guide campaigns; it’s about tarnishing your opponent using avatars, literally putting words in their mouths.

Though this may help gain power, it is a dangerous portend for Jamaican politics. Governments must put measures in place to prevent this anything-goes approach.

There is a widely circulated video, AI-generated and fake, with President of the United States Donald Trump, castigating another head of state, Prime Minister Andrew Holness and calling on Jamaicans not to vote for him.

The video is profanity-laced and denigrates Andrew Holness, denouncing him as corrupt, a stealer of public funds, and a man who benefited from illicit enrichment. These words seemingly came out of the mouth of the world’s most powerful man.

In the video, ‘Trump’ says the Prime Minister is a certified criminal who sells out the country. He then mentions Usain Bolt’s missing funds from SSL and Andrew Holness’ 28 bank accounts. He calls on Jamaicans to vote PNP.

In a country where high illiteracy prevails, this is dangerous. Whoever came out with this had intent. The mendacity is evident. We are now in an era where we cannot take what we see and hear at face value.  AI-generated content will proliferate if not censored and monitored.

Speaking to some young men from Vineyard Town, they insisted this fake Trump video was real and that even the president says, “Anju ah tief.”

“Holness is the youngest and richest prime minister in Jamaica’s history. How him make him money? He say taxi – lie him a tell. Him take Jamaican people for fool-fool,” said one young man.

They could not be dissuaded that this was a fake and that President Donald Trump would never say these horrendous things. That’s how insidious this kind of campaigning and messaging is.

Already, we have the fallout from the KD Knight tape situation and questions about the veracity of what is being said. We are in a time of communication without verification, and governments and regulatory bodies don’t seem inclined to curtail its deleterious impact. Imagine children having to see and hear this Trump video, or the elderly, for that matter.

The Trump administration will have to reach out to Andrew Holness and the JLP and denounce this, making it absolutely clear this is not sanctioned by the United States Government. A shrug of the shoulders won’t do.

The PNP needs to put out a statement, also, saying this is wrong and they had nothing to do with it. They can’t be looking to profit from this TikTok video.

Many people, particularly the young and impressionable, are turning to TikTok. It has become a major platform where people consume news, particularly with a generation that has a short attention span and says reading is ‘boring’.

No country on this earth can make significant developmental progress without an educated, literate populace. It’s folly to accede to the dumb and uneducated masses, unable to make the leap forward. They must be shown the way.

This election has seen the rise of bloggers and YouTubers who are vehement in their support for their respective political parties. Balanced analysis and a measured approach are disregarded for shock value. After this campaign, it will have to be evaluated just where traditional media goes from here in Jamaica. It is losing ground to these new media stars who operate out of a small room but rack up thousands of views.

Some have pronounced the likes of Andre Stephens and Wayne Lonesome as menaces. They have both carved out an audience that favours their approach to media. Are they Jamaica’s answer to the likes of Joe Rogan and Candace Owens? Are we witnessing the rupturing of media as we know it? Does media even have to be responsible today, particularly where those with the most views and clicks rule the roost? 

It’s too late now to single out certain individuals for censure because it then looks like a case of sour grapes. Moves to prevent the rampant dissemination of misinformation and disinformation should have been made some time ago. The genie is now out of the bottle.

The Trump video is widespread. It is not real, but is consumed by people making decisions based upon it. It’s a frightening prospect going forward.

This fearsome chimaera may prove unstoppable if efforts are not made to tame it.