No, they’re saying it would be really easy now to create a fake image that would have in the past had that level of impact.
I don’t see how that would make a difference from pre-AI? It’s just bad actors doing their best to upset the world. They will make use of all and every tool they can to help them reach their goals, no matter the consequences. That has been true since the dawn of humanity and will be true until it’s fall next week.