Key facts
- AI-generated images showing Nigel Farage and Andrew Bailey fighting have been spread on X.
- The images are linked to investment scams.
- Sir Keir Starmer stated tech firms must take responsibility for the fake images.
- The Prime Minister's spokesman confirmed platforms have a duty to tackle misinformation.
- Andrew Bailey called the posts a criminal exploitation of the public.
- Nigel Farage described the images as "bizarre".
Sir Keir Starmer has stated that technology firms must accept responsibility for AI-generated images that falsely depict a fight between Nigel Farage and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey. These fabricated images have been disseminated on the social media platform X and appear to be linked to investment scams.
Multiple AI-generated images show Farage shouting at Bailey, throwing water, and punching him on a set resembling the BBC's Question Time. The organization Full Fact identified over 100 such posts. Andrew Bailey condemned the posts, stating they were designed to "criminally exploit the public, especially the vulnerable, when they are online." Nigel Farage described the images as "bizarre" but acknowledged their existence.
The AI-generated images seem to leverage existing tensions between Farage and Bailey. Farage has previously criticized Bailey over the Bank of England's bond-selling program and stablecoin regulation, calling him a "dinosaur." He also met with Bailey and other political leaders late last year, and has teased the idea of replacing Bailey as governor if he became Prime Minister. Farage has faced scrutiny for his support of crypto firms, particularly after receiving a £5 million donation from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before his election in 2024.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is navigating a path between regulating technology and fostering its growth. He is reportedly preparing to give tech firms a three-month deadline to remove explicit images and is expected to announce measures to restrict children's access to social media, potentially including a ban for under-16s.