NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A so-called parody video generated through the use of artificial intelligence is at the center of a controversy between two Louisiana Republicans in a heated primary runoff for a U.S. Senate seat.
In a recent video posted to social media, Rep. Julia Letlow said Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming crossed a line when he shared an AI-generated video that made several claims, including a deepfake version of Letlow saying he was slated to become president of the University of Louisiana when “my poor husband died and I was appointed to his Congressional seat.”
When Fleming shared the video on social media on June 11, she wrote, “This parody video was not created by me, but for some reason it has spread in Louisiana.”
Letlow responded a day later, posting a video of her own.
“John Fleming crossed the line yesterday,” Letlow said. “He posted an AI parody video attacking my family, including my late husband Luke.”
Lelow, who won a 2021 special election to fill her late husband’s seat, demanded that Fleming remove the video immediately.
“Posting this video is shameful and indefensible. My family is off limits. I’m fighting John, not anyone else,” Lelow said.
In her video response, Letlow went on to say that it was “unconscionable” for her husband to appear in the video.
Fleming also accused Letlow of using AI to smear his campaign, claiming that Letlow’s campaign produced AI-generated videos of him driving a bus of undocumented immigrants and working with Dr. Anthony Fauci on the call for coronavirus vaccinations.
As of Monday afternoon, Fleming had not removed Letlow’s parody video from his social media feed.
While some prominent Louisiana Republicans have criticized Fleming’s sharing of the AI video as unethical, Dr. Robert Collins, a political analyst at Dillard University, said it’s for voters to decide for themselves.
“It’s really up to voters to decide whether it’s in good taste or bad taste or whether this is information they need,” Dr. Collins said.
Although there is no federal law requiring disclosure of AI use in political ads, states such as California, Michigan, and Florida have passed laws to address the increasing use of AI in such ads.
The Louisiana Legislature recently passed a similar bill. Governor Jeff Landry signed HB 459 into law on June 9th. The new bill will come into effect on August 1 of this year.
Dr. Robert Collins said the race between the two Republicans for Sen. Bill Cassidy’s seat is a clash between politics and rapidly evolving technology.
“Today’s AI is very sophisticated, [it] “You can create a deepfake that basically looks exactly like the candidate,” Dr. Collins said.
For now, voters primarily have to make their own judgments about the credibility of political ads.
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