News

When AI Materializes the Fantasies of the Far Right

Ariane Bar highlighted the unsettling ways in which far-right French political groups, like the Rassemblement National (RN), have begun using AI to create alarmist visuals. This tactic, which was widely seen in the campaign titled “L’Europe Sans Eux”, or “Europe Without Them,” plays on fears about immigration and cultural threats.

Ariane Bar’s recent Open Studio, When AI Materializes the Fantasies of the Far Right, explored how AI-generated imagery is transforming political propaganda, particularly for the French far-right. Bar, who holds dual master’s degrees in UX design and marketing from EM Lyon Business School, has focused her academic work on how AI images can contribute to the polarization and radicalization of the electorate. In her talk, she highlighted the unsettling ways in which far-right French political groups, like the Rassemblement National (RN), have begun using AI to create alarmist visuals. This tactic, which was widely seen in the campaign titled “L’Europe Sans Eux”, or “Europe Without Them,” plays on fears about immigration and cultural threats, a threat that seems more potent with AI’s ability to fabricate unsettling, hyper-realistic imagery. Ariane argued that these AI-crafted messages resonate with voters by feeding into identity and security fears, making AI a powerful tool in the creation of polarizing content.

The presentation further explored how these AI-generated images romanticize a nostalgic idea of French identity, positioning “foreignness” as an existential threat to whiteness in France. In particular, these visuals borrow from youth subcultures and countercultural aesthetics, giving far-right ideas a veneer of rebellion that can appeal to younger voters. Bar also emphasized the need for regulatory measures, citing the recently adopted French Sécurité et Régulation de l’Espace Numérique (SREN) law and the European Digital Services Act, which aim to mitigate AI-driven misinformation. However, she cautioned that these laws might be insufficient, especially with deep fakes of fictional figures influencing public opinion in ways that evade current regulatory frameworks. Only by educating the public and raising awareness of these misinformation tactics can we continue to move forward in an AI-dominated world.

About Ariane Bar

Ariane graduated from EM Lyon Business School with two masters, one in UX Design and the other in digital transformation and marketing. In December, she joined an ENS and a consulting firm. She completed a professional thesis on the theme: “How does the hyper-personalization of marketing content through artificial intelligence accentuate political bias?”

About the author

Laura Fay

Programme Associate at Women At The Table and Senior at Smith College with a double major in Government, Statistics & Data Science, with a concentration in Journalism.

We’re creating a global community that brings together individuals passionate about inclusive, human rights-based AI.

Join our AI & Equality community of students, academics, data scientists and AI practitioners who believe in responsible and fair AI.