Controversy Erupts in Dallas City Council Race Over AI-Generated Video
A disturbing trend has emerged in the Dallas City Council District 11 runoff election between attorney Bill Roth and former Park Board Member Jeff Kitner – the use of an AI-generated ‘deepfake’ video depicting Kitner in compromising situations. The video, created by a supporter of Roth, has sparked controversy and raised questions about the role of artificial intelligence in political advertising.
The District 11 race, which is set for a runoff election on June 7, has been contentious, particularly due to debates over the rezoning of the Pepper Square strip mall. However, the creation and dissemination of the deepfake video have escalated the situation. WFAA has chosen not to link to the video to avoid spreading manipulated content.
The video uses real audio from a podcast featuring Kitner, but AI technology manipulates his words and actions, showing him saying things he never said, riding a rollercoaster, drinking coffee, and wearing dirty, ill-fitting clothes. Roth’s campaign distanced themselves from the video, stating that Roth ‘strongly opposes candidates and their supporters resorting to personal attacks.’ Kitner, refusing to watch the video, expressed disappointment in the negative campaigning tactics.
The creator of the video, who is not affiliated with either campaign, claimed to use satire and humor to hold Dallas officials accountable. However, experts warn that such deepfakes could become a significant issue in future political campaigns. ‘This is really the first wave in what’s going to be an increasing issue in American political campaigns,’ said SMU Associate Professor of Political Science Matthew Wilson. ‘It’s getting increasingly hard to tell the difference between what’s genuine footage and what is something that was created by a candidate’s opponent.’
In response to this growing concern, former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan authored a bill requiring disclosures on AI-generated political advertising. The bill passed the House but remains unassigned to a Senate committee. Its applicability to Kitner’s video is uncertain, as the creator claims not to have been paid by any campaign.
The controversy highlights the challenges posed by advancing technology in political races and the need for clearer regulations on AI-generated content in political advertising. As the June 7 election approaches, voters in District 11 will have to navigate this new landscape of manipulated media and decide how much weight to give to such content in their electoral decisions.
