Venezuela, China, Biden and extraterrestrials: the disinformation of AI

This illustration photo shows a laptop screen displaying a video of an AI avatar speaking during a broadcast of House of News. Subtitled clips from this supposed news channel have appeared on social media with a clear bias towards the Venezuelan government, creating a scandal in the country. — AFP

CARACAS: A blond television presenter seemingly working for a channel called the House of News looks into the camera and asks in English: "How true is it that Venezuela is such a poor country?"

But this man is not a journalist - or even a real human being. He's an avatar generated by artificial intelligence (AI), a tool that is becoming ever more common in global disinformation.