Blakeman vows to keep AI attack ads despite Democratic complaint

Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive and Republican candidate for New York governor, told a crowd in Flushing that he will not stop publishing AI-generated attack ads despite a formal complaint from Democratic Party chair Jay Jacobs. Jacobs alleges the campaign breached state election law by failing to disclose the use of artificial-intelligence technology in several ads that depict Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani in exaggerated, false situations.

While a number of the videos include a disclosure label at the end, the review found that not all do, prompting the complaint to the State Board of Elections. Blakeman brushed off the accusation, calling it a joke and accusing Democrats of trying to cheat because the ads are effective. The AI videos are created by Walter Shub, who was hired to produce satire aimed at conservative and pro-Israel audiences. The dispute highlights ongoing questions about transparency and the use of synthetic media in political campaigning.