AI deepfake ads grow more popular in US midterm campaigns, blurring truth

San Francisco, USA: Bruce Blakeman, a Republican who is running for governor of New York, released campaign ads featuring Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor, and Kathy Hochul, the state’s governor, gardening together and collaborating to raise prices for residents.Another ad features Hochul talking about hiking tolls and fares so people cannot afford to drive or take the subway.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Who is Navi Pillay, winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize?list 2 of 4US to livestream Fort Hood shooter’s execution: Is that legal?​list 3 of 4‘Rogue court’: US sanctions ICC hours after ex-judge wins Nobel Prizelist 4 of 4Trump launches probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cookend of listNeither Hochul nor Mamdani was actually in the ads, which were made using artificial intelligence (AI). A spate of AI-generated ads that are obviously fake but grab voter attention have been a feature of campaigns in the lead up to the pivotal United States midterm elections on November 3.While regulation has focused on labelling AI deepfakes that could mislead voters, it is “slopaganda” – or identifiably fake ads – that mark this campaign season, says Scott Babwah Brennen, ...