Maryland GOP leader made viral AI meme mocking Scott adviser - Baltimore Sun

Maryland GOP vice chair Dwight Patel sparked controversy by distributing an AI-generated meme that depicts a senior advisor to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott as a missing person. The image features advisor Marvin James on a milk carton, following a local news investigation that questioned his attendance at City Hall.

What happened

The creation of the meme was a multi-step process that began with a report from Fox45 regarding the visibility of Mayor Scott’s staff. Dwight Patel, the vice chair of the Maryland Republican Party, utilized ChatGPT to generate the imagery for his political newsletter. By prompting the AI to place Marvin James on a milk carton, Patel sought to capitalize on the news report to criticize the current administration. Patel explicitly stated that his intent behind the campaign was to influence voter sentiment against Mayor Brandon Scott in future elections.