Spain’s main conservative opposition party has ignited fierce controversy after publishing an official campaign video that used artificial intelligence to put fabricated confessions into the mouths of political rivals. Released across social media ahead of next month's general election, the clip manipulated the likenesses of figures linked to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s governing Socialist party, making them appear to admit to bribery and taking kickbacks.
Among those depicted were Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, and former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, both shown making self-incriminating remarks touching on ongoing investigations in which they have denied any wrongdoing. Although the video carried a tiny, semi-transparent disclaimer noting its artificial origin, digital transformation minister Óscar López condemned the broadcast as intolerable, warning that viewers unfamiliar with generative technology could easily mistake the synthetic footage for reality.
The advert quickly racked up nearly two million views and prompted immediate legal resistance. Leire Díez, a former Socialist party member whose likeness was also featured, filed a court complaint accusing the People’s party of defamation and digital identity theft. While several Spanish legal scholars noted the advert might evade prosecution because of its satirical tone and faint disclaimer, academic researchers warned that attributing false spoken statements to real people crossed a dangerous line into deliberate disinformation.
The People’s party dismissed the backlash, arguing that the satirical intent was clear and aimed at exposing political hypocrisy rather than deceiving the public. Even so, the episode underscores a broader international struggle to regulate synthetic media in politics, coinciding with a surge of deepfake campaign advertisements identified ahead of the upcoming United States midterm elections.