AI-generated video supporting Spencer Pratt for mayor of L.A. goes viral adding to concern over fake campaign ads

An artificially generated video of reality television star Spencer Pratt endorsing himself for Los Angeles mayor has swept social media, crystallizing fears that deepfakes and AI-fabricated content could upend the 2024 election cycle before voters have any meaningful way to detect or combat them. The viral clip, which Pratt himself did not authorize, arrived with no clear disclaimers and fooled thousands of users—a preview of the disinformation challenges that regulators, platforms and campaigns say they remain unprepared to address. As election officials scramble to develop detection tools and Congress stalls on AI regulation, the incident reveals a critical window where synthetic media could distort political races with virtual impunity.

NBC News·Jun 14