Spain deepfake video of the PM’s wife stirs a fight over AI
Spain's People's Party released an AI-generated campaign video featuring deepfakes of political figures making false confessions ahead of the general election
- Incident date
- Oct 21, 2026
- Source report date
- Oct 26, 2026
- Target
- Pedro Sánchez and members of the Socialist party
In October 2026, Spain's main opposition party, the People's Party (PP), released a campaign video utilizing AI-generated deepfakes to depict political rivals making false confessions. The video, shared on X just five weeks before the general election, sparked a national debate regarding the ethics of artificial intelligence in political campaigning.
What happened
The video features AI-generated likenesses of individuals associated with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist party, including his wife, Begoña Gómez, and former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. In the footage, the deepfakes appear to confess to various forms of wrongdoing, such as soliciting prostitutes, taking kickbacks, and hiding jewelry. These fabricated statements reference ongoing investigations in which the subjects have denied any wrongdoing. The PP posted the video with the caption “Sí, son zurdos” (“Yes, they are left-handed”), a reference to a previous statement made by Sánchez.
While the video includes an AI label in small, nearly transparent text at the bottom, the content has drawn significant criticism. Óscar López, Spain’s digital transformation minister, condemned the video as a “colossal lie” and warned that it could easily be confused with reality by those unfamiliar with AI technology. In response, Leire Díez, a former Socialist party member whose likeness was used, filed a court complaint against the PP for defamation and digital identity theft, seeking the immediate removal of the content.
Legal experts remain divided on the matter. Some argue the video constitutes protected political satire, noting that the PP labeled the content as AI-generated. However, other researchers have labeled the use of deepfakes to put words into the mouths of political opponents as a form of disinformation that crosses a significant ethical “red line.” The PP has defended the video, with spokesperson Borja Sémper stating that the intent was not to deceive, but rather to highlight the perceived hypocrisy of the Socialist party.