"Disgusting": US Removes Racist 'Mr Singh' Self-Deport Ad After Backlash
The US Department of Homeland Security removed an AI-generated advertisement targeting the Sikh community after facing backlash for its racist undertones. While the agency defended its focus on unlicensed drivers, advocacy groups and political leaders condemned the imagery as harmful propaganda.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the risks of using AI in government communications and the sensitivity surrounding racial stereotyping in political discourse.
The US Department of Homeland Security on Thursday removed an Transformers-style advertisement asking "Mr Singh" to self-deport following a backlash from Indian-American groups and Democratic leaders who described it as "racist propaganda".The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used AI-generated imagery on X to push its campaign against unlicensed commercial drivers, featuring a brown-bearded man with a tagline: "Get off our roads, you don't know how to drive Mr Singh."The advertisement sparked off a strong push back from Indian-American and Sikh advocacy groups and also got support from Democratic leaders such as California Governor Gavin Newsom and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi."This is disgusting.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in