Spanish court complaint filed over AI video of PM's wife

A political ad released by Spain's main opposition party is drawing legal scrutiny after it used artificial intelligence to recreate the voices and faces of figures linked to the ruling Socialist party. The People's Party posted the clip to its social media channels earlier this week. By Friday, the video had accumulated nearly two million views.

The ad features AI-generated versions of Pedro Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, and former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. In the video, Gómez speaks about securing a university position due to her husband's status. Zapatero is shown discussing hiding jewelry in a safe. Both individuals have denied wrongdoing in the investigations referenced by the clip.

Leire Díez, a former member of the Socialist party, filed a formal complaint against the People's Party on Friday. Her likeness also appeared in the advertisement. She is seeking an immediate order to remove the video. The complaint alleges defamation and digital identity theft, arguing the video implies she worked to undermine the judiciary to benefit her former party.

Digital transformation minister Óscar López criticized the ad on TVE on Friday. He called the video a colossal lie delivered through official party accounts. López pointed out that the label indicating the use of AI was small and nearly transparent. He warned that viewers unfamiliar with the technology might mistake the content for real footage.

Most legal experts believe the video is lawful. Nine specialists consulted by El País agreed the clip was not illegal because it was labeled as AI-generated and carried a satirical tone. Juan Antonio Lascuraín, a criminal law professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, noted that legality is distinct from ethical appropriateness. Íñigo Navarro, a former dean at Madrid's Comillas Pontifical University, said the context makes it clear the figures did not actually speak those lines.

Academic José Javier Olivas, who studies populism and AI, described the use of deepfakes by a party claiming to revive democracy as regrettable. He stated that placing words in people's mouths qualifies as disinformation. Olivas argued the video crossed a red line in the election campaign, which he said is already characterized by emotional attacks on rival morality.

The People's Party has defended its use of the ad. Borja Sémper, a party figure, stated there is no problem unless the intent was to deceive viewers into thinking the characters were real. He said the video uses digital tools to expose Socialist hypocrisy. Most polls indicate the party will win the general election on November 29, though it will likely need support from the far-right Vox party to form a government.