Brazil’s Flavio Bolsonaro cleared after AI video of father backing election bid

Brazil's presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro was cleared on Tuesday of any wrongdoing regarding a deepfake video of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, endorsing his election bid, according to the Superior Electoral Court. The left-wing coalition that had accused Flavio Bolsonaro of violating a ban on AI-generated replicas of real people in political campaigns lost their case after the court ruled that the convention where the video was shown occurred before the official start of election season.

The video was screened in July during Flavio Bolsonaro's official candidacy launch, featuring a digital replica of Jair Bolsonaro expressing support for his son in the upcoming October elections. Jair Bolsonaro's lawyers stated that they did not authorize the use of the AI-generated video. The 71-year-old former president, serving a prison sentence for attempting a coup, is under restrictions including a prohibition on social media use and public statements.

The Supreme Court barred Flavio Bolsonaro from visiting his father until after the first round of the election, which is scheduled for October 4. Recent polls indicate that incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva holds a slight lead in the race.