Jessica Bichler has sent Michael Lee a cease-and-desist…
Democratic Senate candidate Jessica Bichler issued a cease-and-desist to Republican Senator Michael Lee over AI-generated campaign ads in North Carolina.
- Incident date
- Aug 2026
- Target
- Jessica Bichler
In August 2026, Democratic state Senate candidate Jessica Bichler issued a cease-and-desist letter to Republican Senator Michael Lee regarding the use of AI-generated content in his campaign materials for the District 7 race. The dispute centers on a 30-second video advertisement and accompanying mailers that depict Bichler performing yoga poses described as physically impossible, alongside claims regarding her political associations.
What happened
The campaign materials released by Senator Lee featured AI-generated video and imagery of Bichler, who is a co-owner of a yoga center. The ad included on-screen text acknowledging the use of AI to generate the clips, stating, "You guessed it! AI was definitely used to generate these silly video clips." Beyond the visual content, the materials alleged that Bichler’s campaign was supported by the American Friends Service Committee, an organization focused on prison abolition and humanitarian advocacy. Bichler has denied receiving any financial support or endorsement from the committee, labeling the materials as manufactured deepfakes and falsehoods. Senator Lee’s team stated they are reviewing the cease-and-desist letter and indicated that the committee connection may have originated from a research document regarding the candidate's campaign launch.
This incident highlights the ongoing debate surrounding AI in political messaging within North Carolina. While other states have moved to regulate or ban deceptive deepfakes in elections, North Carolina currently has no laws requiring the disclosure of AI use in campaign materials. Previous legislative attempts, such as House Bills 934 and 375, which sought to address the distribution of AI-generated audio or video and mandate disclosure for political ads, failed to pass. As the midterm election approaches, the use of synthetic media remains a point of contention, raising questions about the threshold between political satire and deceptive practice in the absence of state-level oversight.