Elon Musk Creates Super Fakes With AI-powered Fashion Show With World Leaders

With world politics changing at dizzying speeds in recent weeks, Elon Musk used fashion to take a jab at current world powers by sharing an AI-generated virtual runway show featuring global political leaders and tech giants.

The SpaceX founder and Trump campaign supporter posted the fake virtual fashion show Sunday on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, which he controls and of which is the largest shareholder. Pope Francis opens the digital event wearing a white Balenciaga-like puffer coat similar to the deep fake Midjourney-created one that went viral last year. Clocking just under two minutes, the AI-created show also features likenesses of Russian president Vladimir Putin in a rainbow-colored strapless Louis Vuitton-inspired gown, Kamala Harris in a coconut-like bikini top and “Harris 2024”-imprinted skirt and Donald Trump in an orange pinstripe prison-like jumpsuit with “LV” logos on the chest and with dangling handcuffs.

Musk has pledged $45 million to a pro-Trump PAC, as the former president continues with his reelection bid. The video also has a Hillary Clinton-inspired character in a red pantsuit covered with what looks like “Supreme” logos — (absent the second “e”); a Joe Biden-inspired persona is featured wearing aviator sunglasses and in a camouflage suit going down the runway in a wheelchair, and there is a likeness of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un wearing a chunky gold chain and hooded coat covered with images of him and “Kim” printed across the chest. The virtual fake runway show had 104.6 million views on “X.”

Ih his “High time for an AI fashion show” post, Musk also takes aim at himself — somewhat — first bare-chested in a sumo wrestler outfit and then in a black Tesla-emblazoned superhero suit. Unlike the other virtual models, who have one runway look, the character inspired by former president Barack Obama has 13 ensembles including two gladiator ones imprinted with “Hope.”

There are also AI-generated takes — or fakes might be more appropriate — of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos wearing a bill-printed ensemble with a “B” that is designed to look like a dollar sign; a Tim Cook avatar has a MacBook Pro attached to translucent suspenders with a black top, an “Apple” logo belt, black printed skirt and black handbag, and a Mark Zuckerberg-inspired form is seen in a Speedo bathing suit with a “FB” logo.

Musk is no stranger to fashion. His mother Maye has been a model for more than 50 years, in addition to running a nutrition business. The 76-year-old posted last month that she had four cover shoots in the works. Asked to comment about Elon’s virtual runway show post and how fashion is being used to make politics more relatable, Maye Musk declined. Her manager Anna Sherman opted to pass and said via email, “These topics are not Maye’s areas of expertise.”

A spokesperson for Supreme said the company would not be commenting, and a Louis Vuitton spokesperson had not responded to requests for comment Monday afternoon.

Lynn University’s associate professor of marketing Andrew Burnstine said Monday that the AI-powered show underscores the “surreal intersection of politics, technology and celebrity culture.”

Burnstine, whose students are learning about the importance of AI in relation to fashion and marketing, said Musk’s world leaders show is reminiscent of Moschino’s “audacious commentary through fashion in decades past. It was a spectacle that blended satire, technology and cultural critique,” he said. “Today, we see a new commentary on fashion, through the lens of AI and advanced technology.”

The world leaders’ ensembles serve as “bold visual statements about their personas and public perceptions,” Burnstine said.

Carl-Axel Wahlström, creative director at The Copy Lab, a full-service studio that uses AI images, described the world leaders runway show video as “a beautiful example of how generative AI can be used in a playful and creative way.” He said he hopes that “people in power get inspired and just like superheroes take the chance to dress in ways that clearly express who they are or want to be.”

From Wahlström’s point of view, the video is a reminder of the sampling culture that was popular in music during the 1990s, “where technology enabled new ways to remix brands and powerful people. In the same way as hip-hop commented though music back then, the choice of clothes and styling in this video is spot-on,” he said. “Fashion is fun and playful, and should always challenge styles and trends by mixing ideas with new technology.”

His expectation is that much of what we will see in the future will involve “provocative ideas created with a mix of randomness and talent,” Wahlström said. And like celebrities or influencers, politicians can use fashion to connect with different demographics and convey messages without words. Just as wearing casual or trendy outfits can make politicians appear “more approachable and in touch with everyday people, embracing diverse styles and cultural elements can allow them “to show respect and solidarity with various communities,” Wahlström said. “This use of fashion helps break down barriers, making politicians seem more like regular people and fostering a stronger connection with the public.”

The final shot of Musk’s runway show post, which features a Bill Clinton-looking character holding a monitor that reads, “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart,“ adds “a chilling reminder of the pervasive presence of AI and its capacity to both entertain and monitor,” Burnstine said. “This commentary highlights the dual nature of technology: its ability to create whimsical and imaginative experiences and its underlying role in data collection and control.”