This is a research prototype. The data and analyses are preliminary and not yet validated — we'd welcome your .
In the final hours before the May 2025 Buenos Aires municipal election, multiple AI-generated deepfake videos and fabricated news articles were circulated on X. These materials impersonated former President Mauricio Macri and candidate Lospennato, falsely claiming they had withdrawn from the race or endorsed opposing candidates. The campaign, attributed to accounts linked to the La Libertad Avanza party, was denounced by the affected parties as an attempt at electoral fraud and a violation of electoral law.
Purported AI-generated deepfake videos were reportedly circulated on X in the final hours before the Buenos Aires municipal election in May 2025. The alleged synthetic content depicted Mauricio Macri endorsing Manuel Adorni and Silvia Lospennato withdrawing. Officials reportedly described the material as an attempt to mislead voters. A formal complaint was filed with the electoral tribunal, and an investigation was requested.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
Using AI systems to conduct large-scale disinformation campaigns, malicious surveillance, or targeted and sophisticated automated censorship and propaganda, with the aim of manipulating political processes, public opinion, and behavior.
Also classified as
The deepfakes and fabricated news articles generated false information about candidates withdrawing from the election.
The incident involved a coordinated campaign using AI-generated deepfakes of political figures to influence public opinion and manipulate the Buenos Aires electoral process.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed
The incident was caused by human actors intentionally creating and distributing AI-generated deepfakes to manipulate voters before an election.
Added categories peak at 2: Minor (Epistemic Harm, Direct)
A coordinated political disinformation campaign in Argentina utilized AI-generated deepfakes of former President Macri and candidate Lospennato hours before the Buenos Aires legislative elections. The incident, aiming to mislead voters and manipulate democratic outcomes, represents a substantial threat to electoral integrity and information security, prompting judicial and regulatory intervention.
The AI systems were used as tools by human creators to generate specific synthetic media (deepfakes) based on direct inputs, without exhibiting autonomous planning or agentic behavior.
Limited Risk: The AI systems used were for generating AI-generated content such as deepfakes, which under the EU AI Act are subject to transparency obligations to inform users that the content is artificially generated.
The primary use of AI in this incident was to generate highly realistic deepfake videos of political figures to mislead the electorate, alongside fake screenshots of news articles.
The reports provide clear, consistent details about the nature of the deepfakes, the platforms used for distribution, the political context, and the reactions of the affected parties. The role of AI as a tool for generating synthetic media is unambiguous.
None
Technology
AI Deepfake Generation
AI tools allowed credible recreation of politicians' voices and faces.
Rapid Social Media Viralization
Platform algorithms enabled the swift spread of the deceptive videos.
Data Inputs
Public Training Data Exploitation
Existing public recordings of Macri and Lospennato used to generate deepfakes.
Fake Media Layout Templates
Synthesized media combined with mockups of real news outlets like LA NACION.
Human Factors
Deliberate Political Manipulation
Political actors intentionally spread lies to confuse the electorate.
Troll Network Amplification
High-profile accounts actively reposted deepfakes to boost engagement.
Voter Cognitive Vulnerability
Electorate struggled to quickly identify realistic AI-generated fakes.
Process and Methods
Flawed Platform Moderation
X lacked automated, proactive detection for high-stakes political deepfakes.
Reactive Enforcement Procedures
Removal of fake content required formal requests from prosecutors.
Management
Unethical Campaign Strategies
Campaign managers leveraged deceptive AI tools to gain electoral advantages.
Inadequate Platform Risk Control
Platform management failed to prepare for AI-driven election interference.
Regulatory Environment
Electoral Blackout Loopholes
Regulations failed to prevent digital AI manipulation during the blackout.
Weak Platform Regulation
Lack of immediate legal penalties for platforms hosting election deepfakes.
AI system involved
An AI system was involved, but the reports do not identify it.
Identified by automated extraction; can differ from the alleged developers above.
