Spanish Conservatives Face Backlash Over AI Video Featuring Prime Minister's Wife

The People's Party of Spain is at the center of a political storm after releasing a campaign video that utilizes artificial intelligence to depict the spouse of the sitting prime minister. The conservative group posted the clip on its official social media platforms earlier this week, marking a bold tactical move in the final stretch before the general election scheduled for next month. The advertisement features manipulated likenesses of several figures associated with the ruling Socialist Party, portraying them in scenarios that suggest admissions of misconduct. Specifically, the digital avatars appear to confess to receiving bribes and engaging in extramarital affairs.

The most prominent segment of the clip shows an AI-generated version of Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. In this portion of the video, the synthetic figure discusses how she secured a university position, implying that the role was awarded due to her husband's political status. Another notable appearance belongs to former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, whose digital counterpart speaks about concealing jewelry in a safe. These narrative choices directly reference active legal inquiries, although both Gómez and Zapatero have publicly denied any improper conduct in either case.

The reaction from the opposition was swift and intense. By Friday, the clip had accumulated nearly two million views. Óscar López, the minister for digital transformation, addressed the controversy on TVE, describing the advertisement as a massive falsehood delivered through the official channels of a major political party. He highlighted a specific technical detail, pointing out that the label indicating the use of AI was positioned at the bottom of the screen in text that was so small and transparent that it could be easily overlooked. López warned that viewers who are not well-versed in digital technology might struggle to distinguish the synthetic imagery from reality.

Legal challenges have also begun to take shape. Leire Díez, a former member of the Socialist Party whose image was included in the video, submitted a complaint to the courts on Friday. She is seeking an immediate order to take the advertisement offline. Her legal team alleges that the People's Party engaged in defamation and the theft of digital identity. The complaint argues that her visual representation was used to subtly suggest she had worked to weaken judicial and law enforcement bodies for the benefit of the Socialists.

Despite the public outcry, legal analysis suggests the conservative party is on solid ground. El País consulted nine legal experts, and the majority concluded that the video does not violate the law. Their reasoning rests on the fact that the clip was clearly marked as AI-generated and adopted a satirical style. Íñigo Navarro, a former dean at Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid, noted that the context makes it clear to most viewers that the figures did not actually speak the lines. Juan Antonio Lascuraín, a criminal law professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, added that the question of legality is distinct from questions of political appropriateness or ethical correctness.

Academic observers are weighing in on the broader implications. José Javier Olivas, an associate professor at the National University for Distance Education who specializes in populism and AI biases, described the move as regrettable. He noted that it is ironic for a party claiming to refresh democracy to employ such tools. Olivas argued that while both major parties have been attacking each other's moral character, this specific advertisement crossed a significant boundary. He characterized the act of placing specific words in the mouths of political figures as a form of disinformation.

This development mirrors a growing trend in the United States, where a recent study by a research group at Wesleyan University found over two hundred ads using AI technology in the lead-up to the midterms. Most of these American advertisements were associated with Republican campaigns. Erika Franklin Fowler, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, pointed out that spending on such AI-generated content was minimal in the previous cycle, amounting to less than $50,000. She also observed that a large portion of the current usage lacks any disclaimer whatsoever.

The People's Party has so far brushed off the criticism. Borja Sémper, a prominent figure in the party, argued that a problem would only exist if the video intended to deceive viewers into believing the characters were real. He maintained that the audience can clearly see the use of digital tools designed to highlight what he views as Socialist hypocrisy. Current polling data indicates that the People's Party is likely to win the vote on November 29. However, the party will require backing from the far-right Vox party to assemble a governing coalition.