Most campaigns have strayed away from using artificial intelligence in campaign ads.
But one Democratic donor is embracing the technology in the high-stakes race for governor of North Carolina. Todd Stiefel, founder of Americans for Prosparody — an outside group that’s spoofing the GOP outfit Americans for Prosperity — said the group is spending around $1 million on an AI-generated ad that parodies Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the GOP’s embattled candidate for the open gubernatorial seat, by recreating his image and voice to highlight some of his controversial views.
Read the entire article at https://www.politico.com/newsletters/digital-future-daily/2024/09/30/confessions-of-an-ai-prankster-00181707
Heading into the 2024 election cycle, many experts raised concerns that AI could be hugely disruptive by making fake campaign material more and more undetectable, hopelessly blurring the line between fact and disinformation. But Stiefel said he isn’t trying to trick anyone. The ad leans into the technology, both with clear disclosures and highlighting how AI can go awry. (“I have 10 fingers and 10 toes, just like you,” the AI-generated Robinson says, as he holds up 14 fingers — a reference to AI’s famous inability to generate realistic digits.)
Both Robinson’s and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein’s campaigns have criticized Stiefel’s use of AI in campaigning. Stein’s campaign has also called attention to Robinson’s inflammatory comments without using AI. But as an outside group unaffiliated with any campaign, Stiefel’s organization is operating outside their control.
Digital Future Daily spoke with Stiefel about his efforts, which he said he hopes not only torpedoes Robinson’s candidacy, but also sets an example for how to use AI responsibly as one of the few upfront — and unconventional — examples of the technology in an advertisement this cycle. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Watch the Fake Commercial here at YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqdhrEN6XbE
