Ahead of next month’s general elections, the Spanish political landscape has been disrupted by the use of artificial intelligence in campaign materials. The conservative People’s Party (PP) released a video on social media platforms that employed deepfake technology to simulate the likenesses of several individuals connected to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party. The manipulated footage appears to show these figures making incriminating statements, including admissions of soliciting prostitutes and accepting illegal kickbacks. Among the figures depicted is an AI-generated version of the Prime Minister’s wife, Begoña Gómez.

The release of this content has triggered significant outrage and intensified concerns about the role of synthetic media in political discourse. While the PP has utilized these tools to criticize their opponents, the move has prompted a broader discussion in Spain about the potential for misinformation to influence voter perception. Critics argue that the use of deepfakes undermines the integrity of the electoral process by blurring the line between reality and fabrication. The incident highlights the growing tension in a deeply polarized country as parties seek new ways to gain an advantage before the polls open. As of now, the debate centers on whether the use of such technology constitutes a legitimate form of political satire or a dangerous escalation in campaign tactics that threatens democratic norms.