Too good to be human? NYC mayor Mamdani posts blooper reel after multilingual videos spark AI claims (VIDEO)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to accusations that artificial intelligence helped him speak multiple languages in his recent videos by releasing a blooper reel. The videos, promoting a Broadway ticket giveaway, showed Mamdani speaking Mandarin, Bengali and Spanish. Viewers questioned if his language skills had been digitally enhanced, but Mamdani's response was more entertaining than a formal denial.

The video displayed Mamdani struggling through his lines, abandoning takes and attempting again, all while coming with the caption, “Could AI do this TAMBIEN?” (Could AI do this TOO?). The controversy began after Mamdani appeared in multilingual videos promoting a city initiative with the Theatre Development Fund that offered more than 2,000 free Broadway tickets to New York City high school students.

The Mandarin clip drew the most attention, with viewers complimenting his accent and pronunciation. Mamdani's press secretary and chief spokesman Joe Calvello dismissed the AI speculation, stating that the Mandarin video was "NOT AI." Mamdani learned Mandarin during high school, although he had not spoken the language regularly since then.

The 34-year-old mayor, born in Kampala, Uganda, and raised in New York, has often used different languages in videos and campaign appearances to connect with the city's diverse communities. This is not the first time Mamdani has faced suspicions about technology aiding his language skills during his mayoral campaign.