this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2026
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This is a real "AI" ad from the US government about the end of the mandatory use of the auto start-stop.

This is from the official Whitehouse Instagram.

Only things I can see that gives it away that the video is generated is the red car's brake lights being on while accelerating. The obvious stereotypes of bule haired lesbians vs the blonde.

Also they have no insignias on the cars but that's definitely a Prius and idk what the red car is, the red car might not exist in real life.

Spoting generated videos is going to get harder. However if it's obvious propaganda from the state then you should be suspicious.

It's impressive for generated video even though it is stupid as fuck. I won't get too in the weeds about why this is stupid as the point of the post is more about the use of AI in state sponsored propaganda.

Just to get it out of the way, here is why this is a stupid policy:

  • [Auto stop helps fuel economy by 7% - 26%](https://www/. consumerreports.org/cars/fuel-economy-efficiency/does-start-stop-function-really-improve-cars-fuel-economy-a1028235974/)
  • my 10+ year old car has auto stop, it can be disabled with a button, and if it needs to turn on the ac, the engine will auto start.
  • Auto stop has nothing to do with the cost of cars increasing, it's the regime's terrible policies and other factors that have driven prices up.
  • Hybrid cars like the Prius will use the electric engine at a stop.
  • forcing car companies to change features because the US president said so will increase manufacturing costs and prices.

Source

top 24 comments
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[–] Farnsworth@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Red car is on the passenger side first, then suddenly on the drivers side.

[–] tired_n_bored@lemmy.world 24 points 3 days ago

This ad is not only about cars. It's a political ad where "blue haired lesbian Democrats get dusted by a beautiful blonde Republican woman". This is what they're trying to convey.

[–] PriorityMotif@lemmy.world 87 points 3 days ago (3 children)

People forget that emissions reduction isn't just about global climate change but also local air quality. Sure, it doesn't matter as much in rural areas where there are fewer cars. However, in large cities it adds up and makes air quality plummet. People have a right to fresh air. Idiots are going to bring back smog and increase lung cancer because of a minor annoyance that most people don't even notice.

[–] regdog@lemmy.world 26 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

You forgot that the only government policy is "owning the libs".

Pointing out factual inaccuracies is irrelevant when the entire execute branch is bananas.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

And science and health experts are largely libs. So owning them involves a lot of self destructive bullshit like making measles great again and polluting everything.

[–] ageedizzle@piefed.ca 16 points 3 days ago

There is now also evidence to suggest that air pollution causes dementia 

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

That was a huge difference I noticed after driving an electric car for a few days. ICE cars stink, real bad, we're all just used to them and we ignore it.

[–] idefix@sh.itjust.works 47 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The entire video is WTF material. The AI-generated part is the least of my worries.

[–] passepartout@feddit.org 21 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

It's diabolical really. Remember the first generated videos of Will Smith eating spaghetti? That was 3 years ago.

You couldn't really trust anything anymore on the internet when more sophisticated tools like OpenAIs Sora had been released to the open world. It's not even been half a year and we now have full on nation state level propaganda that one can barely keep apart from a real video (if at all).

This one is so packed with stereotypes and "hidden" messages that you could dissect it in a school lesson on propaganda / post generative AI media.

[–] ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 3 days ago

It’s a stupid policy but it’s playing to the base of stubborn idiots and boomers. I know of several boomers that get irrationally angry at the fact that their engine stops and they have to wait a quarter of a second sometimes for their brand new car to start at a red light. You point out that this gives an appreciable increase in fuel economy, sometimes significant, and they don’t give a shit because they’re selfish assholes who would destroy the entire world to not be inconvenienced for the briefest of moments.

Those people will remember this

[–] deeferg@lemmy.ca 24 points 3 days ago (1 children)

They are on the right side of the Porsche but look to their right?? I'd say that's another one of the flubs here.

Y'know, just on top of all of the disgusting bullshit that they're trying to say with the video itself. Fuck I can't wait til you yanks do something about this shit down there (please).

[–] borkborkbork@piefed.social 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

we're working on it like you're working on brexit.

aka, hopefully both of us will live through the trying times the idiots drag us through.

[–] deeferg@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 days ago

Well I'm Canadian but we've got our own idiots so we've always gotta do our bit.

[–] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 3 days ago

Not that they know or care, but Toyota (and most) hybrids like that Prius have fully-electric AC. It runs at full blast with or without the engine turned on.

Real fun when descending a mountain and you realize that gravity is powering the HVAC.

[–] TheAsianDonKnots@lemmy.zip 14 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

There something else wrong with their Prius if the AC blows hot when running on the drive battery. Also, the Prius is snappy off the line and powerful out of a turn… but comparing an AI “sexy coke” Ferrari to an AI “neo-liberal gay” Prius is just stupid. They even zoom out like it was a legit drag race.

[–] unknownuserunknownlocation@kbin.earth 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Interesting back windshield wiper that only wipes half the windshield.

[–] Hideakikarate@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 days ago

Even today, the rear wiper is comically small on some cars.