Fox News has faced criticism after acknowledging it mistakenly reported on artificial intelligence-generated videos falsely portraying recipients of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) complaining about benefits being disrupted during the government shutdown. The network’s original story, titled “SNAP beneficiaries threaten to ransack stores over government shutdown,” included purported interviews with outraged food-assistance recipients. However, many of these clips were later revealed to be fabricated using AI technology. Following backlash, Fox altered the headline to “AI videos of SNAP beneficiaries complaining about cuts go viral” and added an editor’s note acknowledging that some videos “appear to have been generated by AI.” The incident drew widespread scrutiny from critics.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins criticized the SNAP program, calling it “bloated” and “corrupt” under former President Joe Biden. She highlighted issues of fraud and misuse, citing arrests for fraudulent activity totaling $50 million and instances of individuals receiving benefits in multiple states. Rollins emphasized efforts to enforce policies restricting ineligible recipients from accessing the program.
