A Republican candidate for Michigan's 8th Congressional District is facing backlash on social media after a TikTok video that appears to have been created with artificial intelligence features a narration from the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. endorsing the candidate.
Anthony Hudson of Grand Blanc apologized on social media for the video, which Heartland Signal posted to X but has not yet appeared on TikTok. Hudson said the video was created when a campaign volunteer gave social media login credentials to a friend, who then created and uploaded the video.
The video features an AI-generated narration that parodies the late Martin Luther King's groundbreaking “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 civil rights movement.
“I have another dream,” says an AI-generated voiceover of Dr. King. “Yes, I'm Martin Luther King, and I've come back from the dead to say something. Like I said, I have another dream, a dream that Anthony Hudson will be the next Congressman for Michigan's 8th District. Yes, I have another dream. Now, I'm going back to where I came from. Farewell.”
King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968.
The video ends with a voiceover purportedly from Hudson himself saying, “My name is Anthony Hudson and I stand by this message.”
Hudson's TikTok page appears to have been taken down after the video was published on X (formerly Twitter).
Hudson denied having any role in making the video and said a campaign volunteer had given his social media credentials to a friend, who posted it by mistake.
“Apparently they not only used an AI to create Dr. King's voice, but also synthesized mine to make it sound more authentic,” Hudson posted. “The volunteer has been released and all my social media credentials have been updated. I never approved such a stupid and disrespectful video! I am sincerely sorry that you all had to watch this. I am extremely upset about this situation.”
Hudson did not immediately respond to a message from the Free Press seeking comment.
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Users were quick to condemn the video on social media.
“Disgusting,” one person posted.
“Wow! That's problematic in so many ways. Really embarrassing,” said another.
Last year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill into law regulating the use of AI in Michigan political advertising. Campaigns must report any use of AI in paid campaign ads or materials, but it was not immediately clear whether the video originally posted by Hudson's campaign was a paid ad.
Michigan's 8th Congressional District covers Flint, Saginaw, Midland and Bay City, and is represented by Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee of Flint since 2013. Kildee announced last year that he would not seek reelection.
Hudson has a much lower name recognition than the other two Republicans vying for the seat: Kildee's 2022 opponent, Paul Junge, and former Dow Chemical Co. executive Mary Draves, who are also running for the GOP nomination.
Three Democrats are also running to replace Kildee: state Sen. Kristen McDonald-Rivett (D-Bay City), Michigan State Board of Education Chairwoman Pamela Pugh and former Flint Mayor Matt Collier.
Contact Arpan Lobo at alobo@freepress.com.
