Spain's PP Faces Backlash Over AI Ad

Spain's conservative People's Party released a political advertisement this week that uses artificial intelligence to imitate the voices and faces of figures in the governing Socialist party. The clip, posted on the party's social media channels, features an AI-generated version of Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. In the video, the digital likeness of Gómez claims she secured a university position due to her husband's office. The ad also includes a deepfake of former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero describing the hiding of jewelry in a safe. Both references align with ongoing legal investigations, although both individuals have denied any wrongdoing.

By Friday, the video had accumulated nearly 2 million views. Óscar López, the digital transformation minister, criticized the spot on TVE, calling it a colossal lie. He noted that the label identifying the clip as AI-generated appeared in tiny, nearly transparent text at the bottom of the screen. López warned that viewers unfamiliar with the technology might mistake the footage for reality. Leire Díez, a former Socialist party member whose likeness was also used, filed a court complaint against the People's Party on Friday. She sought an immediate removal of the advert, citing defamation and the theft of her digital identity.

Legal experts consulted by El País largely sided with the opposition party. Eight of the nine experts agreed the video was not illegal because it was labeled as AI-generated and maintained a satirical tone. Íñigo Navarro, a former dean at Madrid's Comillas Pontifical University, stated that context made it clear the figures did not actually speak the lines. Juan Antonio Lascuraín, a criminal law professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, distinguished legality from ethical appropriateness, noting that the video could be legally sound even if politically controversial.

José Javier Olivas, an associate professor at Spain's National University for Distance Education, described the move as regrettable. He argued that a party seeking to revitalize democracy should not use deepfakes. Olivas said the video crossed a red line by putting words in people's mouths, which he classified as disinformation. Borja Sémper, a party figure, dismissed the criticism, stating that malicious intent is required to create a legal problem. He argued the video exposes Socialist hypocrisy using digital tools.

The debate mirrors trends in the United States ahead of next month's midterm elections. A report from a Wesleyan University research group found more than 200 ads using AI, most tied to Republicans. Erika Franklin Fowler, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, noted that spending on such ads in the 2024 cycle was under $50,000. She added that much of the current usage lacks clear disclaimers. Most polls suggest the People's Party will win the election on November 29 but will require support from the far-right Vox party to form a government.

The general election is scheduled for 29 November. The People's Party maintains its campaign strategy, while the Socialists continue to push for legal clarity on digital identity rights in political advertising.