New Jersey
New Jersey concerned with deepfake AI. Here’s what deepfake artificial intelligence is
AI deepfakes are on the rise. How can you detect what’s real?
As the use of artificial intelligence escalates, so are scams using “deepfake” technology.
Fox – 5 Atlanta
There are real concerns that deepfake AI will impact the presidential election, and people in New Jersey are among the most concerned.
But what, exactly, is deepfake artificial intelligence? Here’s where the tech stands today, and why there is so much concern surrounding it.
What is a deepfake?
The University of Virginia’s Information and Security Department explains the technology as similar in nature to other image-generating software, but goes much further.
“A deepfake is an artificial image or video (a series of images) generated by a special kind of machine learning called deep’ learning, hence the name,” read the University of Virginia’s deepfake AI explainer. “Deep learning is similar to any kind of machine learning, where an algorithm is fed examples and learns to produce output that resembles the examples it learned from.”
How harmful is deepfake AI?
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, one company was bilked out $25 million in a deepfake scam, during which an employee was conned into making a deal through a deepfaked team meeting.
Global professional services group KPMG also warned of deepfake AI’s maliciousness.
“AI is now being used to alter maps, imagery, X-rays, and is used to generate text and even create realistic artwork,” read KPMG’s deepfake AI assessment. “Deepfakes are close to being readily available for a variety of purposes, not all of which are well-intended.”
New Jersey concerned by deepfake AI impact
New Jersey is among the ten states most concerned by the deepfake AI threat, according to findings from AI platform Plus Docs. Plus Docs based its findings off a review of related Google searches.
New Jersey ranked ninth in Plus Docs fundings, and was the only Mid-Atlantic state in the top ten.
“Deepfakes usually make it appear that someone said something they did not,” read an e-mail from Plus Docs, “often to spread a false narrative with nefarious intentions.”
How much AI will voters see this 2024 election
Craig Holman, a Capitol Hill lobbyist who works in governmental ethics for the nonprofit Public Citizen, believes 2024 will become the first deepfake election cycle, where AI will influence voters and impact election results.
“Artificial intelligence has been around for a while, but only in this election cycle have we seen it advance to the point where most people cannot tell the difference between a deepfake and reality,” Holman said. “It’s sort of breathtaking how good the AI has become.”
Deepfaked videos of Vice President and democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris were shared on the social media platform X, according to published reports.
And a separate published report indicated that republican presidential nominee Donald Trump deepfaked a photo of himself among a throng of Black supporters.
Elon Musk, the owner of X, has been urged to rid X of deepfaked political content.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Police fired tear gas and used horses to push back protesters outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark, after nights of demonstrations over conditions inside. New Jersey’s governor put state police in charge and set up protected protest zones.
Published On 30 May 2026
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In New Jersey, Mercer County officials have enacted new policies limiting the ability of federal immigration agents to access and use county property to conduct immigration enforcement operations.
Mercer County Executive Dan Benson issued an executive order and the Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution Friday that bans U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol from using any nonpublic area on county property to enforce immigration law, unless they have obtained a judicial warrant or judicial order.
“From Minneapolis to Delaney Hall, ICE has repeatedly shown a total disregard for the law and for the constitutional rights of citizens and non-citizens alike,” Benson said in a statement. “We respect the Federal Government’s authority to enforce immigration law, but we will not allow them to use County properties to harass our families.”
“With this resolution, we’re sending a clear message that everyone in our community can safely interact with County government, and access County services, without fear,” said Board of Commissioners Chair Terrance Stokes in a statement. “ICE’s actions threaten the fabric of our community, and we will take whatever steps we can, within the bounds of the law, to protect our residents.”
New Jersey and New York City commuters are facing extensive delays in and out of New York Penn Station Friday, with intensifying ripple effects, after an Amtrak work train car on one of the hub’s tracks caught fire.
The FDNY says it was called to the Midtown scene on 31st Street, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, around 1:30 a.m. Nearly 100 personnel responded. Five civilians were evaluated at the scene by EMS, officials say.
It’s not clear what sparked the fire involving Amtrak’s contractor maintenance vehicles in one of the Hudson River Tunnels. It was knocked down well before 6 a.m., but service on New Jersey Transit, Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and more was expected to see heavy impacts well into the morning rush, with Hudson River trains operating at reduced capacity. Amtrak said it didn’t expect to lift its suspension until at least noon.
Travel Advisory: Due to unforeseen track and signal maintenance resulting from a now extinguished fire in the New York area, all services traveling south of New York (NYP) are temporarily suspended. This suspension is anticipated to be in place until noon at a minimum. Services…
— Amtrak Northeast (@AmtrakNECAlerts) May 29, 2026
New Jersey Transit and LIRR also announced delays and cancellations. Cross-honoring and diversion programs were in effect as the situation developed. Complete LIRR service at NY Penn had resumed by around 7 a.m., Friday said, though equipment issues were causing cancellations. Get the latest transit information here.
Video from outside Penn Station showed smoke billowing in the pre-dawn hours, as emergency personnel stood by with stretchers awaiting any potential victims.
Amtrak is investigating the cause of the fire.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may cause,” the agency’s latest announcement said, pledging to provide updates as new information becomes available.
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