Spain's opposition deepfake of the PM's wife sparks outrage

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Gloria Vance · World News AnchorSpain's main opposition party put out an AI video of the prime minister's wife and other Socialists appearing to admit wrongdoing, and the country is furious.

2. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThat's the one-sentence version? Okay, I need the rest, because I just woke up and I'm already worried.

3. 

   Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThe Guardian reports the Partido Popular launched it this week across its social channels.

4. 

   Gloria Vance · World News AnchorIt runs fifty-one seconds and copies the Socialists' own video, called left-wing and proud.

5. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSo they took the other team's ad and remade it with fake people?

6. 

   Gloria Vance · World News AnchorAI versions of Begoña Gómez, the prime minister's wife, and four senior Socialists, including José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

7. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd the title is a joke, right?

8. 

   Gloria Vance · World News AnchorIt's called Lerdos y orgullosos, a play on the Spanish word for lefties. It means roughly dimwits and proud.

9. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorOuch. Why now, though?

10. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorSpain is deeply polarised and heads to general elections next month.

11. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorAlso, Gómez is facing a court case over corruption and influence-peddling allegations, which is ongoing.

12. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSo who actually gets hurt by this? Regular voters scrolling at breakfast?

13. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorAnyone who sees a clip without the context. The video carries a disclosure that it was made using AI.

14. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorA label. Does anybody read the label on a fifty-one-second clip?

15. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThat is the argument, Chip. It's a good question, and I'd put it in writing.

16. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorDid you just say I asked a good question?

17. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorI said the Socialists are considering legal action, with lawyers assessing whether it's an offence or an administrative infringement.

18. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorWhich court, exactly?

19. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorNot settled. The Spanish Eye says options include court proceedings or complaints to the data protection authority or the AI supervisory agency.

20. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorNo route has been announced.

21. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd what does the PP say?

22. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorSpokesman Borja Sémper defended it, saying he's worried about insults rather than AI.

23. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorHe added that a spurious intent to make people believe it's real would be a problem.

24. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSo the fake people are fine, as long as nobody's rude to them.

25. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThe Socialists see an impersonation. The PP sees satire with a label. Watch whether lawyers file anything before the vote.

26. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSo: a party made a fake confession, labeled it, and now argues about the label.

27. 

    Gloria Vance · World News AnchorCorrect. For the record, that was well put.