People's Party Faces Backlash Over AI Video Featuring Prime Minister's Wife

The conservative People's Party released a social media advertisement this week that utilized artificial intelligence to simulate the appearances and voices of key figures within the ruling Socialist coalition. The clip featured a digitally created version of Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, speaking about obtaining a university position due to her spouse's political status. The strategy has intensified scrutiny regarding the role of synthetic media in Spanish politics as the nation approaches general elections next month.

The video also included a deepfake of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who was depicted concealing jewelry in a safe. Both scenarios reference active legal investigations, although Gómez and Zapatero have maintained their innocence. By Friday, the clip had attracted approximately two million views, prompting an immediate reaction from the Socialist leadership. Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López criticized the spot during a broadcast on TVE, describing it as a massive deception delivered through the party's official channels. He highlighted that the AI disclaimer was placed in tiny, nearly invisible text at the bottom of the screen, making it easy for viewers unfamiliar with the technology to mistake the content for genuine footage.

Leire Díez, a former member of the Socialist party whose image was also manipulated, took legal action on Friday. She filed a complaint against the People's Party, alleging defamation and digital identity theft. Her claim centers on the video's implication that she worked to weaken the judiciary and law enforcement to advantage her party. She requested that the advertisement be withdrawn from circulation immediately.

Legal analysts generally view the spot as compliant with current regulations. Most of the nine experts consulted by the newspaper El País concluded that the video was not illegal because it carried a label indicating its synthetic nature and maintained a satirical tone. Íñigo Navarro, a former dean at Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid, argued that the context makes it obvious the figures did not actually say the lines. Juan Antonio Lascuraín, a criminal law professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, distinguished between the video's legal standing and its ethical or political appropriateness.

José Javier Olivas, an associate professor at Spain's National University for Distance Education, expressed regret that a party claiming to revitalize democracy would employ such tools. He noted that while both major parties attack each other's morality, this specific instance crossed a significant boundary. He defined the act of inserting words into others' mouths as a form of disinformation. This debate mirrors trends in the United States, where a Wesleyan University report found over 200 AI-driven ads ahead of the midterm elections, many lacking clear disclaimers.

The People's Party has downplayed the criticism. Borja Sémper, a party figure, stated that the issue would only arise if there was malicious intent to deceive viewers into believing the characters were real. He maintained that the digital tools were used to highlight perceived hypocrisy within the Socialist camp. Current polling suggests the People's Party is on track to win the November 29 election, though they may require support from the far-right Vox party to form a governing coalition.