TikTok AI voice generator turns US presidents into Discord goblins

I regret to inform you that TikTok has been overtaken with artificial-intelligence-generated voiceovers of political figures being toxic to each other while gaming. A Joe Biden-esque voice excitedly spoke about gaming Minecraft is extremely funny — mostly because it’s absurd to think of the real president saying any of it — but also shows off how disturbingly easy it is to make political deepfakes now.

It’s all part of a new TikTok and Twitter trend. AI-enabled users are employing them to imitate public figures such as Joe Biden and Barack Obama and narrating gameplay videos. Minecraft, Overwatch 2, Final Fantasy 14You can find more information here. The videos are devilishly funny, as there’s something ridiculous about hearing President Joe Biden bicker with Trump about their relative ability to tank and heal. However, these TikToks serve as a reminder of how AI can be used to blur boundaries between reality and fiction.

These TikToks follow a consistent format. These videos make use of generative AI in order to sound like an ensemble of past and present presidents playing a game on Discord. Others feature AI-generated voices from Joe Rogan and Ben Shapiro, conservative talk-show host. The videos often show groups of people playing together and getting into fights.

One entry from a TikTok series shows how an AI-generated Trump grieves President Biden and destroys his tweets Minecraft house. In a sequel, the AI-generated version of Biden gets back at him by blowing up Trump’s in-game house with hundreds of boxes of dynamite. These AI voices are convincing. You can see the Biden-esque voice in the video. It starts off with a gentle tone. The tone gradually drops. This video was viewed approximately 3.9 million times at the time it was published.

“In today’s video I’m going to try to get a little payback in by griefing Trump’s house. I went into creative mode and gave myself some TNT to blow Trump’s house the fuck up. Obama and Ben [Shapiro] are also helping,” the AI-generated Biden voice says. Video then shows character lined hallways with dozens to dozens TNT blocks.

Many of the online sketches depicting these figures are based on real-world events. The oldest man to hold the presidency is President Biden. He’s often shown as having difficulty playing video games. Multiple users have made videos where the Trump-esque voiceover calls President Biden “Sleepy Joe,” a name Trump has actually used to describe the President.

The whole concept is very goofy — it’s hard to imagine Biden teaming up with Ben Shapiro, a conservative pundit who regularly critiques Democratic leaders. The comedy comes largely from the fact that middle-school corridors are filled with snarky jokes and injures.