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 home from war, and then the video cuts to him - blindfolded, bound by the hands, and then shot by his captors.
This video targeted Orbán's election rival, Péter Magyar, who could unseat him after 16 years in office. The campaign has made unsubstantiated claims about the war in Ukraine and Magyar's intentions, at times using AI-generated videos like this, even though it makes clear the video is fake.
Fidesz alleges that Magyar, from the centre-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.
"The video is an AI video, but the war is really horrible," the video states. It continues, 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.
Such narratives have been widely rejected by Magyar and his party Tisza. In its manifesto, it pledges not to send troops to Ukraine and does not plan to revive conscription.
Magyar condemned the video as heartless manipulation, while Zsófia Fülöp, a journalist at Hungary's only dedicated independent fact-checking website, Lakmusz, noted that the use of generative AI is unprecedented in this campaign.
Despite these tactics, opinion polls indicate Magyar's party gaining traction, especially among voters under 40, suggesting a shift in public sentiment. However, Fidesz continues to cling to its anti-Ukrainian narratives, indicative of its expansive media control and political strategy.
