Ai-powered political ad goes viral, raising concerns over deepfakes in election campaigns

A viral political ad featuring former reality TV star Spencer Pratt as a Batman-like figure has gone viral, sparking concerns over the growing role of artificial intelligence in political messaging.

Ai-generated political video draws attention, raises deepfake concerns

The video, created using AI and visual effects, portrays Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as a villainous Joker-like figure and Governor Gavin Newsom as French royalty eating cake. Pratt swoops in as a hero to 'save' the city and state from chaos.

While the ad's over-the-top imagery drew attention, experts warn that AI could be used to manipulate voters, particularly as increasingly realistic deepfake technology becomes more widespread.

California enacted a law in 2025 requiring certain political ads using AI-generated or substantially altered content to include disclosures alerting viewers that the material is artificial.

Republican strategist Tab Berg said the Pratt video appears more comedic than deceptive, but warned that AI becomes dangerous when used to mislead the public.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission has asked lawmakers for additional funding to help identify AI-generated campaign ads, reporting they've received allegations but no formal violations have been issued.