A dispute has arisen over an advertisement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that was created using artificial intelligence. The ad featured a generated photograph of a man in Indian attire with a beard, next to which was the caption: «Get off our roads, you don't know how to drive Mr Singh».
This post was part of a DHS campaign aimed at individuals driving vehicles in the U.S. without the proper license. However, the use of the surname «Singh» drew sharp criticism from Indo-American and Sikh organizations, who viewed it as racial discrimination and hate.
In this controversial message, DHS also mentioned truck drivers Hardjinder Singh, Rajinder Kumar, Bekzhan Beishekiyev, Akhror Bojorov, and Jasvir Singh, in addition to «Mr Singh». DHS included these individuals in its campaign, linking them to traffic accidents and other crimes.
In its post, DHS stated that America would defend itself if anyone entered the country with hostile intentions, and would protect «Americanism», meaning American values and identity.
Another announcement showed the character Megatron from the movie «Transformers», while another AI-generated video featuring Optimus Prime alongside DHS conveyed the message: «Self-deport or find out».
Indian and Sikh organizations expressed strong protest against the post concerning «Mr Singh». The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) stated that people with the surname Singh are both Hindus and Sikhs, as well as citizens of America. The organization accused DHS of «racial and anti-Indian profiling».
HAF emphasized: «This is a discriminatory post by a federal agency that goes far beyond a political message, and we welcome an investigation». The Hindu American Foundation also tagged FBI Director Cass Patel and Deputy Attorney General Harmit Dellen.
The North American Indian Coalition appealed to the Department of Homeland Security, urging: «Enforce the law. Do not mock any community. Dangerous drivers can belong to any group, race, religion, or surname».
This group also stated that singling out certain surnames does not increase road safety but endangers the safety of millions of Americans with surnames like Singh and Kumar.
The Sikh coalition noted that 25 years after the events of September 11th, Sikhs continue to face persecution based on appearance and identity. According to the organization, millions of Sikhs in America have the surname Singh, which means «lion».
Congress member Raja Krishnamurthy also criticized DHS, stating that the U.S. government should not declare people a threat to the country based on their religion, heritage, or identity. He noted that over 160 thousand people in America bear the surname Singh, and targeted persecution of an entire community promotes hatred and fear of foreigners.