People's Party Releases Deepfake Ad of Sánchez's Wife Before Election

The conservative People's Party (PP) in Spain released a political advertisement this week that uses artificial intelligence to mimic the voices and faces of opponents. The clip appears on the party's official social media channels and is set to run ahead of the general election scheduled for November 29.

The video reached nearly two million views by Friday. It features manipulated likenesses of individuals associated with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialist party. The ad presents these figures as confessing to various misconducts. One segment shows an AI-generated Begoña Gómez, Sánchez's wife, discussing how she obtained a university position due to her husband's role. Another depicts former Socialist prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero describing the storage of jewelry in a safe. Both subjects have denied wrongdoing in ongoing investigations.

Digital transformation minister Óscar López criticized the campaign during an interview with TVE. He stated that the party was telling people a colossal lie on its official accounts. López pointed out that the text identifying the video as AI-generated appeared in small, nearly transparent letters at the bottom of the screen. He warned that viewers unfamiliar with the technology could mistake the clip for reality.

Leire Díez, a former Socialist party member whose image was used in the ad, filed a court complaint on Friday. She asked a judge to order the immediate removal of the video. Díez accused the PP of defamation and digital identity theft. The complaint notes that the video used her likeness to suggest she worked to undermine the judiciary and law enforcement for the benefit of the Socialists.

Legal experts consulted by El País generally believe the advertisement is lawful. Of nine specialists interviewed, most agreed the video is not illegal because it is labeled as AI-generated and maintains a satirical tone. Íñigo Navarro, a former dean at Madrid's Comillas Pontifical University, said the context makes it clear the figures did not actually say those lines. Juan Antonio Lascuraín, a criminal law professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, noted that legality is distinct from political appropriateness.

José Javier Olivas, an associate professor at Spain's National University for Distance Education, called the use of deepfakes by a party claiming to revitalise democracy regrettable. He described the move as crossing a red line in political discourse. Olivas argued that putting words in other people's mouths qualifies as disinformation, even if the intent is satirical.

The PP has dismissed the backlash. Party figure Borja Sémper stated that a problem exists only if there was malicious intent to deceive viewers about the reality of the characters. He argued that the video clearly uses digital tools to highlight Socialist hypocrisy. Recent polls indicate the PP is likely to win the upcoming election but will require support from the far-right Vox party to form a governing coalition.