AI has invaded the L.A. mayor's race. Some fear it's just the beginning

"Some warn, however, that as the technology becomes more sophisticated, it will become harder for many people to distinguish between AI and real videos. "When you're creating content that is not based in reality, and then platforms are amplifying it in order to attract more eyeballs, you are putting a burden on the public for figuring out what is real and what is factual, and what is fake and misleading," said Mark Jablonowski, the chief executive of DSPolitical, a progressive advertising firm."

"Pratt's fan-generated AI election campaign videos have been praised and mocked, but heavily shared. And some see them as a harbinger of how artificial intelligence could reshape political messaging across the country. His supporters are far from the first to create AI-generated ads. But political experts say it's remarkable the degree to which they have used new technology to churn out a stream of outlandish, hyper-cinematic memes, creating buzz around his campaign and his message."

"The Hollywood sign is ablaze as Spencer Pratt, the reality TV star now running for mayor of Los Angeles, suits up as Batman, enters City Hall and leads the people to overthrow a cabal of corrupt, out-of-touch progressives intent on destroying the city. Then he is Luke Skywalker. Dressed in a Jedi robe, he swoops through the city on an Imperial speeder bike, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom (Emperor Palpatine) rebukes incumbent Mayor Karen Bass (Darth Vader) for not burning the city down to the ground in her first term."

""Make sure you finish the job in your second," Newsom tells Bass with a tilt of the head and a smirk. "The only thing that can stop us is someone telling the truth," Bass replies. "As long as they don't have any hope, the city's ours.""

Spencer Pratt’s AI-generated campaign videos portray him as Batman and Luke Skywalker while political figures appear as villains, creating highly shareable, cinematic memes. The videos have drawn both praise and mockery and have circulated widely, generating attention for Pratt’s mayoral run. Political experts note that supporters used new technology to produce an outlandish stream of content that builds buzz around campaign themes. Concerns arise as AI tools improve, because audiences may struggle to tell AI footage from real video. Platforms amplifying such content can increase the public’s burden to determine what is factual versus fake and misleading.

Read at Los Angeles Times