Key Takeaways:
- The voice of President Donald Trump in a new Fannie Mae ad is actually an AI-cloned voice, created with permission from the Trump administration.
- The ad promises an "all new Fannie Mae" and calls the institution the "protector of the American Dream".
- The Trump administration is making a push to show voters it is responding to concerns about affordability, including in the housing market.
- The administration plans to roll out "some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history".
- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which have been under government control since the Great Recession, buy mortgages that meet their risk criteria from banks, providing liquidity for the housing market.
Introduction to AI-Cloned Voice
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to clone the voice of President Donald Trump in a new Fannie Mae ad has raised eyebrows. According to a disclaimer in the video, the voice in the ad is not actually Trump, but rather an AI-cloned voice reading text. As the article states, "What sounds like President Donald Trump narrating a new Fannie Mae ad actually is an AI-cloned voice reading text, according to a disclaimer in the video." This is not the first time a member of the Trump family has used AI to replicate their voice, as First Lady Melania Trump recently employed AI technology firm Eleven Labs to help voice the audio version of her memoir.
The Fannie Mae Ad
The ad, which promises an "all new Fannie Mae" and calls the institution the "protector of the American Dream", comes as the administration is making a big push to show voters it is responding to their concerns about affordability, including in the housing market. As the article notes, "The ad comes as the administration is making a big push to show voters it is responding to their concerns about affordability, including in the housing market." The ad says Fannie Mae will work with the banking industry to approve more would-be homebuyers for mortgages. As Trump’s digitized voice says in the one-minute ad, "For generations, home ownership meant security, independence, and stability… But today, that dream feels out of reach for too many Americans not because they stopped working hard but because the system stopped working for them."
Housing Reform Plans
The Trump administration has pledged to roll out "some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history". As the article states, "Last month, Trump pledged in a prime-time address that he would roll out ‘some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history’." Trump plans to talk about housing at his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where world leaders and corporate executives meet. The administration has also floated extending the 30-year mortgage to 50 years in order to lower monthly payments, although Trump appeared to back off the proposal after critics said a longer-term loan would reduce people’s ability to create housing equity and increase their own wealth.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Fannie Mae and its counterpart Freddie Mac, which have been under government control since the Great Recession, buy mortgages that meet their risk criteria from banks, which helps provide liquidity for the housing market. As the article notes, "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which have been under government control since the Great Recession, buy mortgages that meet their risk criteria from banks, which helps provide liquidity for the housing market." The two firms guarantee roughly half of the $13 trillion U.S. home loan market and are a bedrock of the U.S. economy. Trump and Bill Pulte, who leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, have said they want to sell shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on a major stock exchange, but no concrete plans have been set.
Use of AI and Autopen
The use of AI to clone Trump’s voice is interesting given that he has complained about aides in the Biden administration using autopen to apply the former president’s signature to laws, pardons or executive orders. As the article states, "Trump’s permission for the use of AI is interesting given that he has complained about aides in the Biden administration using autopen to apply the former president’s signature to laws, pardons or executive orders." However, a report issued by House Republicans does not include any concrete evidence that autopen was used to sign Biden’s name without his knowledge. The use of AI and autopen raises questions about the authenticity of digital communications and the potential for manipulation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the use of AI to clone President Trump’s voice in a Fannie Mae ad is a notable development in the world of politics and technology. The ad promises an "all new Fannie Mae" and calls the institution the "protector of the American Dream", and comes as the administration is making a big push to show voters it is responding to their concerns about affordability, including in the housing market. As the article notes, "The ad says Fannie Mae will work with the banking industry to approve more would-be homebuyers for mortgages." The use of AI and autopen raises important questions about the authenticity of digital communications and the potential for manipulation, and highlights the need for transparency and accountability in the use of technology in politics.
https://www.wral.com/news/ap/7a792-trumps-voice-in-a-new-fannie-mae-ad-is-generated-by-artificial-intelligence-with-his-permission/
