Bianca Motley Broom AI image incident — Sep 2024

What happened

College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom is investigating legal options after an apparent deepfake image of her was posted on a city-related Facebook page on September 6, 2024. The image depicts the mayor kissing a man who is not her husband. The mayor believes the doctored photograph was created by combining an authentic photo of her making small talk with the man at a bar during a January City Council retreat with other imagery. The fake post triggered online vulgarities and political discourse against the mayor, who condemned the incident as a familiar tactic used to target women in leadership positions.

Experts note that this incident reflects a broader national pattern of using artificial intelligence to harass female elected officials and other women. The prevalence of non-consensual sexualized digital imagery has become a significant concern for security and political organizations, as these tools can be used to discourage women from running for office or participating in public life. While state lawmakers in Georgia and elsewhere are exploring legislative frameworks to restrict deceptive deepfakes, the sophistication of current technology makes verifying the authenticity of images increasingly difficult. The mayor and other local officials have addressed the circulation of the image, with council member Jamelle McKenzie denying any involvement in the creation or spread of the content. The incident remains a point of tension, highlighting the challenges that AI-generated misinformation poses to local political environments.