Jakarta – Indonesian communicator Emrus Sihombing said the video of President Joko Widodo using Mandarin circulating on social media was a fabrication. The video featuring AI (artificial intelligence) depicting President Joko Widodo speaking in Mandarin reflects the increasing prevalence of hoaxes that could influence public opinion ahead of the 2024 election.
This was conveyed by Political Communication Expert at Pelita Harapan University who is also an Indonesian Communicologist Emrus Sihombing while in Jakarta, Thursday 26/10/2023.
According to Emrus, the video circulating gave rise to irregularities ranging from not using the original language, namely English, to not having a translation of the text in sentence form below.
“What I question is that it was made in Mandarin, that is, in Mandarin but spoken, not in written form, even though the video that translated what the source (President Jokowi) said should have kept the contents of the speech delivered in the original language, namely English,” Emrus said.
He added, even if there is a new translation in text form, it is in sentence form below it, so that the viewer or viewer of the video can simultaneously control whether what is conveyed in oral form is the same as what is written.
“On the other hand, because it is delivered in Mandarin, in the form of a voice, which is similar to Mr. Joko Widodo’s voice, it can give rise to multiple interpretations as if Mr. Joko Widodo is part of the power of economic interests that exist in China or in China,” said Emrus.
On the same occasion, Indonesian Communicologist Emrus Sihombing asked the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kemenkominfo) to immediately “take down” the video because it could cause chaos in public spaces.
“I am of the opinion that this video which was delivered in Mandarin and delivered orally like that, should be immediately taken down by the Ministry of Communication and Information or at least that the Ministry of Communication and Information should massively explain this to the public about the President’s speech which was delivered as if as if it were spoken in Mandarin,” concluded Emrus.
For your information, the original video of President Jokowi’s actual speech at the Gala Dinner in the United States in 2015. This video is the result of editing or engineering using AI to make it appear as if President Jokowi uses Mandarin fluently, giving the impression that President Jokowi is a Chinese accomplice.
Therefore, the public is expected to be able to intelligently view and assess videos circulating on social media, including videos of President Jokowi’s speeches which use Mandarin because they could potentially be doctored videos or hoaxes that have implications for unrest in the public space.
