The Dominican Republic condemned Spain’s People’s Party for an AI-generated video linking it to corruption. The video, which parodied a reality show and featured Prime Minister Sanchez, was considered a “vicious attack” by the Dominican Foreign Ministry. Sanchez subsequently apologized, indicating the political ramifications of AI use in campaigns.
The Dominican Republic criticized Spain’s People’s Party (PP) for sharing an AI-generated video that linked the nation to corruption while targeting its own government. The video, which featured Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a parody of a popular reality show, sparked an apology from him after the Dominican Foreign Ministry labeled it a “vicious and incomprehensible attack”. The video displayed the Dominican flag and included a map of its location.
The PP removed the video, which had garnered over 400,000 views, asserting that it did not mean to damage the Dominican Republic’s reputation. Following the incident, Sanchez expressed his deep shame and apologized on behalf of Spain, despite not having seen the content himself.
This controversy follows a similar incident involving an AI-generated video by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which depicted the Gaza Strip inappropriately, inciting public outcry. The growing use of AI in political campaigns presents an efficient method to produce diverse content, appealing particularly to younger voters in Spain who predominantly use social media for news.
The incident underscores potential consequences of using AI in political messaging and reflects the need for ethical standards in political campaigns. The swift backlash experienced by the Spanish PP highlights the sensitivity around national representations and the implications of satire in politics, particularly when it infringes on the identity of a foreign nation.
Original Source: www.usnews.com
