A theoretical essay proposes that political rumor is no longer just about spreading unverified stories: when AI generates videos of citizens who don't exist demanding tax reform, the rumor gains a body and a face that existing methods for studying political language were not built to handle.

A theoretical essay proposes that political rumor is no longer just about spreading unverified stories: when AI generates videos of citizens who don't exist demanding tax reform, the rumor gains a body and a face that existing methods for studying political language were not built to handle.