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New Jersey concerned with deepfake AI. Here’s what deepfake artificial intelligence is

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New Jersey concerned with deepfake AI. Here’s what deepfake artificial intelligence is


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There are real concerns that deepfake AI will impact the presidential election, and people in New Jersey are among the most concerned.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.



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New Jersey

Are all Freedom Fuel locations $3.47? Not anymore

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Are all Freedom Fuel locations .47? Not anymore


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President Donald Trump is touting a new fuel option for motorists: Freedom Fuel, advertising gas at a discount price to local consumers.

When the network was opened and announced on July 7, it advertised $3.47 per gallon regular gas at the pumps, a noticeable difference from national and state averages in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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But is the gas actually as cheap as the 47th President says?

According to some gas tracking platforms, it may not be.

On GasBuddy, a website tracking gas prices across the country with a pricing heat map based on user submissions, some of the Freedom Fuel locations’ pricing appeared to have risen.

Some still sporting the names of what appeared to be their previous sites, like a Gas N Go on Island Ave, the following addresses on GasBuddy match those listed as one of Trump’s 25 gas stations.

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The pricing, however, varies:

  • 2200 Island Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 8
  • 400 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
  • 6243 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
  • 6800 E. Baltimore Ave, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
  • 6801 Tilton Rd., Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey – $3.89 as of July 8
  • 6501 Delilah Rd., Egg Harbor Township New Jersey – $3.57 as of July 9

Much about the gas station network remains unknown, like how long they’ll be operating or where stations could be popping up next.

Administration officials told USA TODAY on July 8 that the federal government has no role in the Freedom Fuel Network, nor is it providing it with funding.

The White House also said that “no other entity or person” is subsidizing the cost of gasoline.

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Contributing: Michelle Del Rey USA TODAY NETWORK

Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and city-related for USA TODAY’s Philadelphia Metro Connect Team.



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Family describes frantic moments delivering baby on the NJ Turnpike

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Family describes frantic moments delivering baby on the NJ Turnpike


JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Mile marker 113.3 on the eastern spur of the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus will forever be an incredible memory for one family, who scrambled to deliver their baby boy right on the side of the road.

Kristen Fast was in labor last week, with her husband driving her to the hospital on the turnpike, but when they got to the mile marker, baby Archer couldn’t wait any longer and had to be delivered on the highway.

Archer insisted on arriving three days before he was due, and maybe it was because his lovely big sister, 4-year-old Zelda, was waiting for him.

He was in such a hurry, he didn’t even let mom and dad get to the hospital for him to be born, although they tried.

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“The doula said, ‘pull over, hang up, call 911.’ So we did that. We called 911. The operator started walking him through what to do,” said Archer’s mother, Kristen Fast.

“Next thing I know, I get in the back seat, and we’re making sure she’s comfortable, and I look down, and that baby is ready to go,” said Archer’s dad, Alex Fast.

New Jersey State Trooper Freddie Guacamaya responded to Alex’s 911 call.

“Cop comes, puts on his gloves, and he was fantastic,” Alex Fast said.

“I said, ‘Are you the EMT?’ And he didn’t answer. So I said, ‘You are not an EMT. I’m in danger.’ But he was fine, he was being very calm,” Kristen Fast said.

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“They said, ‘you got to clamp that cord right away. If you have anything, if you have a string.’ So I panicked and just looked in the front and we just had an iPhone cable. So we just clamped the cord with an iPhone cable,” Alex Fast said.

“The EMTs came, and they said, ‘What is this?’” Kristen Fast said.

The loving, kind courtesies extended to the family just continued, helping to make their emergency experience flawless.

“There were three policemen who showed up. I said, ‘I’d love to be with her in the ambulance.’ And they were amazing. They drove our car to the hospital for us, which was so nice. They paid for our valet,” Alex and Kristen Fast said.

They were all welcomed to Hackensack University Medical Center with a healthy baby and a hearty story, backed by Archer’s exact birthplace, recorded accurately: New Jersey Turnpike I-95, mile marker 113.

“Archer’s healthy. He’s thriving. He’s a Jersey boy through and through. I don’t think you get more Jersey than being born on the New Jersey Turnpike,” Kristen Fast said.

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What to know about Freedom Fuel Network as Trump urges cheaper gas prices in Pennsylvania, NJ

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What to know about Freedom Fuel Network as Trump urges cheaper gas prices in Pennsylvania, NJ


PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — There are 25 new Freedom Fuel Network gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.

This comes after President Trump announced the privately-owned network on social media last week, saying it will help drivers save money at the pump.

There are 25 new Freedom Fuel gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.

The first location in Dresher, Montgomery County, opened on Friday, with the price of $3.47 per gallon.

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This cost was a nod to President Trump serving as the nation’s 47th president.

However, that price has already started to rise after the president announced new U.S. strikes, sending oil and gas prices higher.

Some of those locations with gas stations participating in the Freedom Fuel Network include Lansdowne, Bensalem and Pottstown in Pennsylvania; and Marlton in New Jersey.

Gas Calculator: Find out how much it costs to fill your tank

A White House official told ABC News the administration is not involved with the company and is not providing any funding or subsidies.

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Instead, the company says it is cutting its own profit margins to offer lower prices.

Some drivers are applauding this move while others, including gas analysts, are skeptical.

“$3.47 a gallon is a Godsend, honestly,” said one consumer. “Great price because this was a Sunoco before and prices were a lot higher.”

“I want Americans to be asking, ‘Where is that money coming from? Why are corporations and businesses willing to subsidize gas 50-cents a gallon for people, to make President Trump look good,” said another consumer.

Trump is also encouraging other gas retailers to lower their prices. He has not identified the company behind Freedom Fuel, saying only that it’s a private retailer.

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Action News is still working to learn how long these lower prices will last and whether more stations will open.

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