Gary Ferraris AI image incident — Sep 2026
Santa Clara mayoral candidate Gary Ferraris faces a state complaint for using undisclosed AI-generated images of fake supporters on his campaign website
- Reported date
- Sep 29, 2026
- Target
- Gary Ferraris
The exact incident date was not established. This entry is dated by its source report.
A Santa Clara mayoral candidate is facing a formal complaint filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) regarding the use of undisclosed AI-generated imagery on his campaign website. The complaint, filed by political consultant Diana Torres, alleges that the campaign violated state disclosure laws that took effect in January 2025.
What happened
The campaign website for mayoral candidate Gary Ferraris featured several images created with artificial intelligence that lacked the mandatory disclosure required by Assembly Bill 2355. The images depicted fabricated campaign volunteers and supporters, including a person canvassing at a table, a construction worker holding a campaign sign, and a supporter wearing a shirt labeled "Engineers for Gary Ferraris." Additionally, the site included an image of a building labeled "City of Santa Clara" that did not resemble the actual City Hall.
Under California law, political advertisements containing media generated or substantially altered by AI must include a disclosure if the content would falsely appear authentic to a reasonable person. Following notification of the complaint by the FPPC, Ferraris removed the images from his website. Ferraris characterized the oversight as an honest mistake and described the complaint as a political distraction, while Torres emphasized that voters deserve transparency regarding the authenticity of campaign materials. As of late September 2026, the FPPC had not publicly confirmed whether it had opened a formal investigation into the matter.