AI Disinformation Rhetorics

Project by Ellie Walters, Miguel Sanchez, Dang Tran, and Issac Mendoza

Our project focuses on rhetorically analyzing deepfakes and other forms of synthetic media, and on how AI-generated weather reports and similar news-style videos have become a growing problem in today’s media world. We center our attention on examining how artificial intelligence can be used to craft persuasive yet completely misleading content that mimics convincing journalism. As AI becomes rapidly more advanced, it is increasingly difficult for viewers to distinguish between real and entirely fabricated reports. To explore this issue in depth, we have analyzed three AI-generated videos that present information in different rhetorical forms. Our first video is a weather report designed to engage with the audience to boost views. The second is a documentary-style video about a “new man on the moon” landing, which relies on storytelling to appear investigative and real, and to convince the viewer that the moon landing is fake. The last video is a serious and fabricated news report about Canada blocking banks, presenting completely false information to provoke viewers into commenting which contributes to video engagement. All together, these audiovisual events demonstrate how AI-generated videos can adopt many features of actual media and spread false information, underscoring the need for audiences to develop critical analysis skills. This is especially important in a broadening AI media landscape where trust in media (news, etc) is broken down (Gamage et al) when studies show it’s difficult for people to realize some media are deepfakes despite being told it is (Soto-Sanfiel, T, and Wu 6).

AI Weather Man

This AI Youtube weather report video was chosen for rhetorical analysis after Ryan Hall Y’all, a real online/digital meteorologist, started having deepfakes made of his likeness reporting weather with bad data and this video’s channel/creator was one of the people making deepfakes of Ryan. The video is noticeably made by AI within the first few seconds with the extraordinarily smooth-skinned older gentlemen whose mouth movements do not match what he says. The overall video goes over real weather events that were forecasted around Valentines day of 2026 where the Northeast US was battered with cold weather and the South was warming up, however the data presented was haphazardly put together with low effort markers made on heat maps which had no context due to being on-screen for less than 5 seconds with no legends due to cropping before random snow footage showed up. The video tries to seem real with all of this together, and tries to fish for engagement with viewers by repeatedly asking what cities they live in to be commented. This is a normal Youtube video algorithm boost tactic as comments show engagement on a video and thus bring more views. This illustrates how making low effort stitches of footage with an easily made AI reporter brings in views with minimal effort without the cost of meteorology crew/equipment/production would be lucrative for the channel/creator. This is shown to work too, because in the comments of the video there are mostly comments of locations people are at with little to no one mentioning that the video is AI made.

AV File 1

Annotations

00:00 - 00:45

In the opening sequence of this AI weather report a few days before Valentines day of 2026, the credibility of the video seems genuine with the AI weatherman being an older gentleman speaking in a very slight, friendly Southern accent that makes it easier to take in the information he gives. The setup he has with a streamer-like background in the first few seconds transitioning into multiple heat maps of weather events and footage of snow-stricken areas reinforce his aspect of ethos which is important to him to garner views and engagement with the audience. On the other hand, this ethos is important to the audience as a stakeholder as they want to view this video as "reliable" for weather news due to worry of actual upcoming weather like the storms in the Northeast US. (DT)

Communicator

Stakeholder

Setting

Context

00:00 - 17:48

The Ai Weatherman video serves the purpose of informing the public about the current weather conditions in a video format. The Ai Weatherman does this in a timely manner in order to inform whoever is watching the YouTube video about the weather as quick as possible. This is a very efficient medium as this saves people the trouble of recording a video talking about the weather. Rather they could just upload the current weather report to a video generating website and have not only speedy weather reports but a way to make income while keeping the population and possible people that this effects up to date. (IM)

Purpose

Medium

00:16 - 00:26

The AI-generated weather reporter smartly uses contemporary vocabulary to forge an authentic connection with his viewers. By skillfully integrating modern slang, he cultivates a relatable persona that resonates deeply with younger demographics. This intentional linguistic shift, which highlights how the specific context sets the tone for user interaction (Thaler et al., 2024), transforms traditional, sterile forecasting into a vibrant, engaging experience. Consequently, the AI successfully captures and maintains audience attention in a saturated digital landscape. This strategic blend of technology and cultural fluency not only humanizes the synthetic interface but also redefines how information is consumed, proving that relatability is the ultimate currency for driving consistent viewer engagement and a sense of trust. (MS)

Tone

00:51 - 01:08

In this part of the video, the AI weatherman explains what is happening to our world right now and warns that it could get much worse if these two major weather systems collide. By outlining the potential environmental disaster in an urgent voice, the AI weatherman establishes the broader context that justifies his online presence and reasoning behind this video. He frames this environmental situation as significant and immediate, which heightens the video as a whole. Doing this gives his message credibility because real-life weather broadcasts are urgent. The context is about creating a moment that feels serious and worthy of audience attention. (EW)

Context

03:06 - 03:47

The AI weatherman's use of "yo" and "I legit wanna see [the comments]" is very informal and he makes use of exclamations of disbelief to sympathize with possibly the viewer's city that he's covering. This diction, or his informal style of speaking could be an indication that the target audience is young adults and older. Adding onto this, the AI weatherman acts very friendly and asks for viewers to comment their cities again if they are "seein' any flakes out there, drop it in the comments." The rhetorical device of pathos can be at play here since he is engaging with the viewer by sympathizing with their struggles and asking for their comments to up his views and engagement which play hand-in-hand. It's like preying on the heartstrings of people who are worried about the upcoming storms and temperature fluctuations to persuade them to engage. (DT)

Pathos

Audience

Diction

03:41 - 03:48

The AI weatherman asks the audience (those viewing the report) whether they have seen any snow outside yet and invites them to “drop it in the comments” if they have. By asking this question, he is directly acknowledging the viewers rather than treating them as simply recipients of information. This is shifting the dynamic between the communicator and the audience to an interactive exchange. Inviting the audience to comment fosters a sense of participation, making the audience feel involved in verifying the information provided. By encouraging engagement, the AI weatherman mimics the style of real influencers and online personalities, thereby increasing the report's authenticity. (EW)

Audience

12:40 - 13:50

The Ai Weatherman is showing various clips of the winter storms (apart from the poorly cropped charts). Some depicting a whole group of guys helping someone get their car out the snow or cars just driving in snowy conditions. The videos appear to be real but are not verifiable. They could honestly be videos of snowstorms in general that the Ai is trying to pass off as the valentines winter freeze. The main audience would be average news goers, because the Ai weatherman is trying to emulate real weather reporting showing videos "on the scene" and "examples" of how bad the snowstorm is. The purpose would be Ai trying to gain the audiences trust by posing as a news source. (IM)

Audience

Purpose

13:19 - 14:05

While the video dramatizes its subject matter for cinematic effect, it remains firmly rooted in real-world meteorological events and scientific predictions. By blending factual weather data with creative storytelling, the production transforms actual atmospheric occurrences into a compelling narrative. It doesn't just invent catastrophes; it amplifies the intensity of documented storms and climatic shifts to highlight their impact. Ultimately, the footage serves as a heightened reflection of our planet's volatile weather patterns. It balances entertainment with environmental reality, ensuring that despite the dramatic flair, the core substance is grounded in the authentic, unpredictable phenomena observed across the globe. (MS)

Exigence

AI Report of Man on the Moon

We chose this video for our AI Disinformation project because, although it presents itself as a news-style report, it stands out from the other videos we analyzed. Instead of delivering straightforward information about the weather and the like, this video is structured like a story or a documentary clip. This unique video showcases the power of AI-generated content, demonstrating its ability to create something cinematic. This video is entirely AI-generated, including the reporter, the interview clips, the visuals, and even the voices. The information presented is also fabricated. The story centers on several speakers presenting their opinions and perspectives on a new “man on the moon” landing. This video mimics the style of investigative journalism, with a serious, ominous tone and personal testimonies that enhance credibility. We ultimately chose this video among others because it demonstrates how AI can blur the line between storytelling and misinformation. In the broader context of AI disinformation rhetoric, this example highlights how easily audiences can be compelled when artificial content is blended into a familiar format; documentary-style videos feel more personal and influential to many. This video raises many serious questions about credibility and how viewers should evaluate what they see online.

AV File 1

Annotations

00:00 - 00:05

The very first lines in this video say, “We fooled the whole world. And everybody believed us.” This immediately positions the global audience as the primary stakeholder. This video is creating a power imbalance between the creators and the audience. It is framing the creators as deceptive and portraying the public as easily influenced and naive. This section of the video is very deceptive because it claims the world is being fooled by the man of the moon, but in reality, the entire thing, including the interviewees, is fake. This rhetorical appeal highlights how easily authority can shape public belief, even when the information presented is entirely fake. (EW)

Stakeholder

Audience

00:00 - 00:09

This AI video opens up with the implied claim that the moon landing was fake, by saying we, the audience, think the event was real. The exigence driving the creation of this video is most likely moon landing conspirators that believe the moon landing was fake, and they want to spread their nonsense with AI tools at hand that are easily made with quality not easily discernable by a glancing eye. According to a storyboard on Google Arts and Culture provided by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, there’s an increasing number of doubters of the moon landing due to younger generations forgetting the lunar accomplishments and the growing sea of contemporary information and data that makes it difficult for folks to discern truth from lies. This latter fact is heavily demonstrated in this very video which was created synthetically via AI. (DT)

Exigence

Communicator

Context

00:00 - 02:10

The background score utilizes intense, driving rhythms to cultivate a profound sense of mystery and anticipation. By employing bold, dramatic arrangements, the music transcends simple accompaniment, aiming to immerse viewers in a heightened state of realism and emotional gravity. Each part of the song is strategically made to mirror the unfolding tension, bridging the gap between the screen and the audience. This auditory landscape doesn't just complement the visuals; it reinforces the narrative’s stakes, ensuring that the drama feels visceral and urgent. Ultimately, the soundtrack serves as a powerful atmospheric anchor, grounding the cinematic spectacle in a convincing, high-stakes reality. (MS)

Tone

00:00 - 02:10

This commercial of a spoof on the popular theory of the moon landing being fake, brings a comedic tone into play and really eases the audience into trusting it. The commercial uses a vintage aesthetic to convince the audience that with Kling anything is possible, even faking the moon landing. Although the Medium is a commercial or digital media it doesn't fail to appear real, I verified that the Ai video used accurate dates by crosschecking on the NASA website and it reassured the date of 1969 as the first moon landing. Overall the purpose of this spoof and funny theorized crazed video is too convince the audience to use its Ai that is only mentioned in the end. (IM)

Medium

Tone

Purpose

00:10 - 00:17

Here, the man who claims he went to the moon establishes his credibility by referencing the cameras he brought with him. By flashing the cameras they had with them, he strengthens his ethos and presents himself as a reliable, firsthand source. The mention of physical evidence makes his claim appear more legitimate and trustworthy to the audience. This rhetorical move is persuasive because it appeals to the assumption that physical proof means truth. However, there is a lot of irony in this, and the evidence meant to confirm his credibility is part of the entire fabricated narrative. This demonstrates how easily ethos can be made through strategic visuals. (EW)

Ethos

00:17 - 00:35

In this clip, one of the main speakers recounts receiving a strange phone call from an unnamed person who claims they have been to the moon. The speaker "Murray" frames the scene as eerie and suspicious by emphasizing that the caller refuses to identify himself because "that's not important," and then immediately describes the moon as looking like "sh*t." This detail gives this clip a mysterious tone and signals that something is off. This clip situates the story in a context of conspiracy and doubt about the moon landing. Murrary is essentially warning the audience that something is off and credibility could be questioned. (EW)

Context

Tone

Audience

Ethos

00:40 - 01:05

Expanding on ethos, this clip shows that the AI interviewees are all older folk with greying/grey hair describing what the moon looks like. The moon landing was back in 1969, so the video using older folk as "witnesses" to what the moon "actually" looked like could convince a viewer what they're saying is true. Older folk also tend to just carry credibility because with age comes wisdom, so this can add onto their ethos as communicators of their message that the moon landing was fake. Altogether, the use of older, seemingly credible “witnesses” to a bygone era of space exploration and fast paced video format with dramatic effects would be very convincing to a younger viewer or someone who is not well versed in science, as these types of people would have a harder time believing in the moon landing that happened decades ago. (DT)

Ethos

Communicator

Audience

Medium

01:57 - 02:10

As the video concludes, the speaker provides a final twist to his narrative. He suggests that if he were tasked with faking the moon landing today, he would rely exclusively on an advanced AI tool, which is the very same technology demonstrated throughout the presentation. This revelation clarifies the underlying intent of the production, the compelling visuals and storytelling were not merely for entertainment but served as a marketing strategy. Ultimately, the core purpose encourages viewers to adopt their AI software, proving that the entire video was a clever promotion hidden behind a fake story, designed to showcase the power and versatility of AI. (MS)

Purpose

AI Reporter on Canada Blocking Banks

This video depicts an AI reporter/commentator talking about Canada blocking the operation of US banks within their grounds as of 2/19/2026. This video was chosen for rhetorical analysis because it is a false report and the event it tries to cover was back in March of 2025 when Trump claimed Canada blocked US banks in order to support his goal of annexing Canada according to CNN (Daniel). The video is noticeably AI made with the use of another older gentleman making minimal movements with a green screen background and uncanny movements/artifacting throughout the 20 minutes of footage. There’s neither data or footage shown, and it’s just the AI reporter the entire time. Overall the video is trying to garner views through fake/irrelevant news, or “ragebaiting.” This works for gaining more views as it makes viewers want to comment their thoughts on the geopolitical and economic climate between the US and Canada. This is evident because people are commenting on the video their displeasure with how the US is operating or some presumably Canadian commenters saying the US deserved the loss of bank operation in Canada. In the newer comments however, some folk did point out the “news” was fake or wrong and/or questioned or stated the video was synthetically made.

AV File 1

Annotations

00:00 - 00:12

The AI video starts off illustrating an image of a shocked wallstreet office in NY in the face of the lack of trade calls from their Canadian ally. This illustration carries an aspect of pathos that could strike worry in the mind of the viewer who should know that Canada has been a long-time ally, especially in trade. This intro has an immediate telling of the main stakeholders being Americans as their Canadian trade partners stopped US banks from operating by freezing bonds (which isn't true). The audience based on this could be an American viewer base of adults who care about the economic status of America. (DT)

Stakeholder

Audience

Pathos

00:23 - 01:07

The target audience for this video is primarily high-level stakeholders, including banks, corporate executives, institutional investors, and government policymakers who need to anticipate major structural shifts in the global economy. It also speaks to simply the public and analysts/logistics experts who track how political decoupling manifests in physical supply chains and capital flows. By focusing on the breakup between Canada and the U.S., the content appeals to those whose portfolios or operations are deeply integrated into North American trade, providing them with a provocative lens to evaluate risk and strategic resilience. (MS)

Audience

01:52 - 02:07

Similar to the beginning of this video, the AI reporter continues to create a sense of urgency for his audience. He frames the situation as something intentional and strategic, urging viewers to “look closer” at what is really going on. He describes the issue as a “calculated strategic maneuver designed to hit where it hurts the most,” targeting the “balance sheet.” This language appeals to pathos by provoking fear among viewers, particularly those concerned about broader economic consequences. The phrase “where it hurts the most” encourages the audience to feel personally affected. The AI reporter is intensifying audience emotional engagement. (EW)

Pathos

Audience

02:23 - 03:03

The AI reporter's serious tone in regards to the message Canada is supposedly sending to the US makes the situation seem very real with real effects on how US trade will fare and this could affect the main viewer/audience who are Americans. His firm tone can play into the audience's emotions by posing this as an issue that can personally affect them. Adding to this convincing tone and thus enhancing his ethos as well is the AI’s resolute demeanor as an older gentleman since this group of people are generally seen as credible which adds to the believability of his report. (DT)

Tone

Pathos

Ethos

Communicator

04:50 - 05:44

This moment seems central to the AI reporter’s motive for delivering this news report. When he says he wants to “speak directly” about what is driving a wedge between two historic allies, he signals that there is an urgent issue that demands attention. This establishes the exigence of the report—the pressing issue that justifies delivering this message. He frames the situation as a growing division, which heightens the seriousness of the issue and positions himself as someone stepping in to address the tension. For about the next minute, he talks about tariffs being the main source of conflict. By narrowing down the issue at hand, he provides the audience with a clear cause for the tension and reinforces its urgency. (EW)

Exigence

08:42 - 20:10

This Ai video claims that Canada has blocked US banks, and that Wall Street is collapsing. It uses a realistic newsroom to set the stage and a anchor who hardly moves. The video really builds ethos because it imitates credible journalism. The pathos comes into play when it creates uncertainty about the future of the economy. The logos is really its weakest point because it provides no real evidence or reliable sources to all of these claims it kind of just expects you to believe it. The persuasive power is increased by the fact that audiences often trust televised reports. (IM)

Ethos

Pathos

Setting

Medium

16:45 - 16:52

Just pointing out here how obvious the artifacting is with the AI reporter. Spontaneous and uncanny movements. Also, the entire video he sits in the same position and only moves his head and hands for some minor gestures. (DT)

Notes

18:00 - 20:58

This Ai model was able to create an Ai news reporter to communicate how Canada is blocking US banks and wall street is doomed. This video sets a tone of fear and uncertainty for the United States. It really blows up this story to new heights claiming that the US might be at risk of losing a lot of business in Europe and all the steak-holders overseas are going to leave because of this news . Overall, this Ai video was one big fear-mongering attempt to create buzz around whichever Ai model this is by using a digital/news medium. (IM)

Medium

Tone

Communicator

19:50 - 20:58

The purpose of this video is to analyze and warn viewers about a significant economic shift, characterized as a "financial breakup" or "decoupling" between Canada and the United States. The speaker aims to clearly explain that this is not just a temporary disagreement, but a fundamental restructuring of logistics, procurement, and capital systems. By highlighting Canada's definitive move away from Wall Street, the video serves to provoke thought on the long-term geopolitical implications, specifically questioning how Washington will respond and whether global competitors like China or the European Union might exploit this divide to gain permanent leverage in North America. (MS)

Purpose