Controversy arises after campaign ad claiming digital manipulation
New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani was accused on Wednesday of using artificial intelligence to fake his Spanish fluency in a campaign ad. The democratic socialist, however, responded with humor to the allegations, calling them completely unfounded.
The ad, which aired on social media earlier this week, showed Mamdani speaking Spanish to New York’s Latino audience in front of Three Way restaurant, a traditional Latin food spot in the Bronx. The recording was praised for his pronunciation and fluency in the language.
However, state representative Jake Blumencranz, surprised by the speech, claimed to have done an independent analysis of the audio and suggested that Mamdani’s voice had been manipulated. Blumencranz, a Republican from Long Island, filed a formal complaint asking for an investigation into a possible violation of campaign laws.
@zohran_k_mamdaniLos neoyorquinos latinos son el corazón de esta ciudad y merecen un alcalde que les hable directamente. Este vídeo es un esfuerzo a presentar nuestra visión a la comunidad latina, para que podamos trabajar juntos para construir la ciudad que todos merecemos. Latino New Yorkers are the heart of this city — and they deserve a mayor who will speak to them directly. This video is an effort to introduce our vision to the Latino community, so we can work together to build the city we all deserve.♬ original sound – Zohran Mamdani
“In the first ten seconds of the ad, there’s a softness in the frequencies that doesn’t match natural speech,” the analysis stated. “The audio quality suggests that it’s probably not human speech, given the lack of tonal variation and structure of the voice.” Blumencranz also compared the recording with other real speeches by the representative.
While the use of AI in election campaigns is allowed, state law requires candidates to include a disclaimer in ads if they use the technology.
Mamdani, for his part, took the accusation lightly and shared a two-minute video with “Spanish advertising errors,” in which he unsuccessfully tried to pronounce the language correctly.
“Only a Republican from Long Island would think that something genuinely from New York would actually be AI,” Mamdani said, downplaying the accusations.
Blumencranz, however, stood firm and appealed to state attorney general Letitia James’ office and the state and city election boards, requesting a deeper investigation into the use of AI for digital manipulation.
“The ad suggests that there was digital alteration of the audio and voice synthesis generated by artificial intelligence,” the representative said. “This is not just a technical issue — if there was manipulation without the proper disclaimer, this is a clear and simple deception. New Yorkers deserve transparency in elections, and public funding should not be used for campaigns that deceive voters.”
Mamdani, who is second in the Democratic primary polls, trails Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York, and remains one of the leading candidates for the November election in the historically Democratic city.
Having raised over $6.6 million in public funds, Mamdani continues to be a prominent figure in the city’s political race.
Source and images: NyPost / Creative Commons. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
