DPP urges investigation of AI video mimicking Lai -…

In October 2024, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) requested a judicial investigation into an AI-generated video that impersonated President William Lai. The video, titled “It’s Out of Your Control,” used synthetic voice technology to make it appear as though the president was criticizing the government’s response to a cooking oil safety scandal involving Central Union Oil Corp.

What happened

The video surfaced amid public health concerns regarding batches of raw cooking oil found to contain excessive levels of the carcinogen benzopyrene. By utilizing AI to mimic the president’s voice, the creator, identified by police as a person surnamed Wei, produced content that could mislead the public into viewing it as an official presidential statement.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau confirmed it received a report regarding the video and initiated an investigation. DPP spokesman Justin Wu argued that using such technology to impersonate public officials could constitute the crime of forging private documents and poses significant societal risks by spreading disinformation. Conversely, members of the KMT caucus criticized the investigation, accusing the government of creating a “chilling effect” and questioning why the bureau, which typically handles major crimes, was deployed to investigate the video’s producer. Legal experts, including Professor Chin Mong-hwa, emphasized the need for mandatory disclosure labels on AI-generated political content to prevent the infringement of personal rights and the potential for public deception. The incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding the regulation of synthetic media and the legal boundaries of political expression in Taiwan.