Brazil’s Bolsonaro is barred from this year’s election.…

In July 2024, an AI-generated avatar of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro made a surprise appearance at the launch of his son Flavio’s presidential campaign. This event has ignited a significant debate regarding the role of synthetic media in political campaigning, particularly when the subject is under judicial restrictions.

What happened

Jair Bolsonaro, currently under house arrest for his role in plotting against democracy and attempting to overturn the 2022 election, is prohibited from communicating publicly. Despite these restrictions, a campaign event for Senator Flavio Bolsonaro featured a video message delivered by a digital avatar. The avatar explicitly informed the audience it was created using artificial intelligence before urging voters to support his son’s campaign against incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The incident prompted an immediate legal challenge from a coalition of center-left and leftist parties, who argued that the use of synthetic media to influence voter intent violates established electoral rules. Critics contend that the technology provides a workaround for judicial orders that bar the former president from direct communication with the public.

Conversely, supporters of the campaign have suggested that disclosing the content as AI-generated provides a sufficient legal basis for its use. Furthermore, legal experts have noted that Jair Bolsonaro might avoid personal penalties by arguing he did not record or authorize the message. The President of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Justice Kassio Nunes Marques, stated that while AI is generally permissible for campaigning, its application remains under review to determine if it crosses the line into harming electoral fairness or integrity. The campaign team for Flavio Bolsonaro has not provided comments regarding the video.