Brazil’s Flavio Bolsonaro cleared after AI video of father backing election bid
The Superior Electoral Court cleared presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro of wrongdoing, ruling that the deepfake video was shown before the official start of the election season.
Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro has been cleared by the Superior Electoral Court after being accused of violating election laws through the use of an AI-generated video of his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro. The left-wing coalition that brought the charges claimed the video breached the ban on using AI replicas of real people in political campaigns.
However, the court ruled that the convention where the video was screened had occurred before the official start of election season, thus invalidating the charges. The deepfake video was shown in July during Flavio Bolsonaro's official candidacy launch, depicting the crowd greeting his father's endorsement ahead of the October presidential elections.
In the video, a digital replica of Jair Bolsonaro stated, "I ask you to welcome with open arms the person I chose to replace me - blood of my blood, my son Flavio." Jair Bolsonaro's lawyers stated that he did not authorize the use of the AI-generated video. The 71-year-old former president had served time in prison for attempting a coup before being placed under home confinement due to health concerns.
He is currently barred from using social media, mobile phones, or making public statements. In July, the Supreme Court ordered Flavio Bolsonaro to stay away from his father until after the first round of the election. Recent polls indicate that incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva holds a slight lead heading into the first round of voting on October 4.
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