Nearly 2 Million Views: How a Deepfake Ad Upended Spain's Election Race

The conservative People's Party released a synthetic political advertisement on social media platforms this week, sparking immediate controversy in Spain. The clip utilizes artificial intelligence to recreate the faces and voices of key figures from the governing Socialist party. The footage appears to show these individuals admitting to various improprieties, including soliciting prostitutes and accepting bribes. This release occurs as the nation approaches general elections scheduled for next month.

A central figure in the video is Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. An AI-generated version of her claims she secured a university position due to her spouse's political status. The advertisement also features a deepfake of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. In this segment, he is shown discussing the concealment of jewelry in a safe. Both subjects have denied any wrongdoing, noting that the references align with ongoing judicial investigations.

By Friday, the clip had accumulated close to two million views. The Socialist party reacted swiftly to the viral content. Óscar López, the minister for digital transformation, spoke to the public broadcaster TVE regarding the incident. He described the advertisement as a massive falsehood delivered through official channels. López highlighted that the label identifying the content as AI-generated was placed in tiny, nearly invisible text at the bottom of the screen. He warned that viewers unfamiliar with digital tools might easily perceive the footage as genuine reality.

Legal challenges have also begun. Leire Díez, a former member of the Socialist party whose image was utilized in the video, filed a court complaint against the People's Party on Friday. She sought the immediate removal of the advertisement. According to reports, Díez alleged that the party committed defamation and digital identity theft. The video used her likeness to suggest she worked to weaken the judiciary and law enforcement in favor of the Socialists.

However, legal analysts generally support the actions of the conservative party. El País consulted nine legal experts, and the majority concluded that the video is not illegal. This verdict rests on the fact that the content was marked as AI-generated and maintained a satirical tone. Íñigo Navarro, a former dean at a law school in Madrid, stated that the context makes it clear to the public that the figures did not actually speak those words.

Juan Antonio Lascuraín, a professor of criminal law at the Autonomous University of Madrid, emphasized the distinction between legal standing and ethical appropriateness. He noted that while the video may be lawful, questions remain about its political correctness. José Javier Olivas, an associate professor studying populism and AI at a distance education university in Spain, called the move regrettable. He argued that a party seeking to revitalize democracy should not use deepfakes. Olivas suggested that both major parties are attacking rivals' morality, but this specific video crossed a significant threshold by placing words in others' mouths.

Spain is not alone in facing this issue. A similar trend is emerging in the United States ahead of its midterm elections. A research group at Wesleyan University recently identified over 200 advertisements using AI, most associated with Republican campaigns. Erika Franklin Fowler, a co-director of the project, noted that spending on such ads in the 2024 cycle was under $50,000. She observed that much of the current usage lacks any disclaimer.

The People's Party has largely dismissed the public criticism. Borja Sémper, a party figure, stated that a problem would exist only if there was malicious intent to deceive the audience. He argued that viewers can clearly see the use of digital tools to expose Socialist hypocrisy. Most polling data indicates that the conservative party is on track to win the election on November 29. However, they will likely require support from the far-right Vox party to establish a governing majority.

The dispute highlights the growing role of artificial intelligence in political communication worldwide. As voters in various democracies encounter synthetic media, the line between satire and disinformation becomes increasingly blurred. The Spanish case serves as a test for how legal systems and the public will judge these new tools in high-stakes electoral environments.