AI-Generated Image In Ida B. Wells Tribute Sparks Backlash For Education Secretary Linda McMahon

Critics have argued that the digital image conflicts with Wells’ legacy of truth.

Linda McMahon is facing renewed scrutiny after posting a tribute to Ida B. Wells that featured an artificial intelligence-generated image rather than a verified historical photograph.

The post, shared o April 10 on McMahon’s personal Truth Social account, was part of an ongoing series recognizing prominent women in U.S. history. But the accompanying visual—a stylized image of a woman writing with a quill by candlelight—was labeled “Photo by Gemini,” indicating it was created using an AI tool from Google. The choice quickly drew criticism from historians and observers who said the image was both unnecessary and misleading.

Paula Giddings, who authored a biography of Wells, told the Washington Post that the tribute from McMahon conflicted with the activist’s core values.

“While I appreciated the recognition of Ida B. Wells, the decision to use an AI generated image undermines the very values she stood for: truth-telling and her lifelong campaign against false representations,” Giddings said. She further criticized the decision, adding, “To use a fabricated image — even a respectful one — is not only unnecessary but is evidence that the secretary of education misreads [Wells’s] legacy.”

Wells, who died in 1931, was a pioneering investigative journalist who exposed the realities of lynching in the American South. She also helped establish the NAACP and was a leading voice in the fight for women’s voting rights. Critics argue that using a fictionalized image to honor such a figure undermines the historical record she worked to document.

The controversy around McMahon also reflects a broader trend involving AI-generated or digitally altered imagery linked to figures associated with Donald Trump and his administration. In recent months, critics have pointed to manipulated visuals and mashups shared online as examples of how digital tools can blur the line between representation and misinformation.

Sarah Weicksel said the issue goes beyond a single post, warning that AI-generated historical visuals can introduce inaccuracies into public understanding. “The use of AI to pull together infographics about individuals has resulted in poor quality and inconsistent resources in education,” she said. Weicksel noted that the image in the post made by McMahon reflects outdated or incorrect details, such as the use of a quill pen and candlelight, despite the fact that gas lighting and metal dip pens were more common during Wells’s lifetime. “The AI images are pulling from material that is historically inaccurate,” she said. “We have excellent sources for all of these women, so there is no point to using something that is AI-generated.”

Still, not all reactions were negative. Michelle Duster, Wells’s great-granddaughter, said artistic interpretations of her ancestor are not new. “I’ve seen a lot of artwork of my great-grandmother, that’s original or AI-generated, so this is nothing new,” Duster said. She added that broader engagement with Wells’s work is more important, encouraging people to read about her life to “further understand the times Wells lived in, the violence and oppression she faced, and why her fight for justice and equality continues.”

A spokesperson for the Education Department said the post originated from McMahon’s personal account and does not represent official agency communications.