Keller @ Large: Campaign Ad Taps Into Disturbing High Tech Trend

BOSTON (CBS) - What's the early leader in the competition for scariest political ad of 2018?

Try the new TV ad from Democratic congressional candidate Damon Martinez of New Mexico, a former US Attorney whose new spot taps into a disturbing high-tech trend.

It shows Martinez entering a familiar setting - the "boardroom" from Donald Trump's long-running "reality" show, "The Apprentice." He sits down opposite Trump who says: "I've just been given some very disturbing news."

Responds Martinez: "What news? That I prosecute corporations who pollute the environment? Crack down on domestic violence?"

"Wouldn't you say you crossed the line?" snaps Trump.

"I'd say I did what was right for New Mexico," replies Martinez.

"You're fired, go!" says Trump.

But guess what? The last word goes to Martinez, who says, anachronistically: "Mr. President, I approved this message because when I'm in Congress, you're next to get fired."

While this encounter obviously never occurred, at least those are actual words once spoken by Mr. Trump and the candidate. But the creepy new technology poised to overtake our political discourse isn't always grounded in reality. An image of gun control activist Emma Gonzalez from Douglas High School in Florida tearing a paper gun target was recently altered to pretend that she's ripping up the Constitution, and it made the rounds online.

And now a new video created by former President Obama and movie director Jordan Peele sounds the alarm about how new technology can make a mockery of reality by showing Peele reciting inappropriate comments through Mr. Obama's mouth. "Moving forward, we need to be more vigilant with what we trust from the internet," say Peele/Obama, and that's an understatement.

Eager tech designers are rapidly developing new ways to exploit the situation. The internet is already crawling with "deep fake" sites where the faces of celebrities are superimposed on the bodies of porn actors.

"You can imagine, right, you can do all kinds of evil things with it," says one developer, apparently oblivious to the potential for social damage and national security risk.

Stay tuned - it's all coming soon to a TV or laptop near you.