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The Uruguayan television program 'Santo y seña' used AI to generate a virtual avatar and voice clone of political candidate Yamandú Orsi after he declined an interview request. The avatar was placed in the studio alongside a rival candidate, sparking significant controversy and concern from the candidate's campaign and other political figures regarding the potential for electoral misinformation and damage to democratic norms.
Uruguayan TV program Santo y Seña, hosted by Ignacio Álvarez, used AI to create a virtual representation of political candidate Yamandú Orsi, who declined an appearance. Nevertheless, without Orsi's permission, an AI-generated "Orsi" was shown alongside Andrés Ojeda, a rival candidate who appeared in person on the program.
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 creation of a simulated interview carries a high risk of generating and spreading false or misleading information if clips are shared out of context.
The AI system was used to generate a simulated political interview of a presidential candidate during an election campaign, aiming to influence public opinion and the political 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 the intentional decision of the television producers to create and broadcast the AI representation of the candidate.
Added categories peak at 2: Minor (Epistemic Harm, Direct)
A Uruguayan television program used AI to generate a virtual avatar and voice clone of presidential candidate Yamandu Orsi after he declined an interview. While the incident sparked controversy regarding electoral integrity and democratic norms, its national security impact remains minor as it was a domestic media stunt with on-screen disclaimers rather than a hostile foreign operation.
The AI system was used as a tool to generate a virtual avatar and clone the voice of the candidate based on existing audio and video inputs, performing a specific generation task without autonomous planning or agency.
Risk Level 3: Limited Risk. The incident involves the creation of AI-generated content (a deepfake/voice clone), which falls under the transparency obligations of the EU AI Act requiring disclosure that the content is synthetic.
The TV show used AI to generate a virtual representation (hologram/avatar) of the candidate and clone his voice to simulate an interview.
The reports provide clear, consistent accounts of the TV show's broadcast, the reactions from the candidate's campaign, and the specific context of the Uruguayan election. The facts of how the AI was used (voice cloning and avatar generation) and the public controversy are well-documented across multiple sources.
The incident could be viewed purely as a journalistic stunt or satire rather than a malicious disinformation campaign, especially given the on-screen disclaimer.
Technology
AI Voice and Image Synthesis
Allowed the creation of a realistic virtual avatar and voice imitation.
Technical Glitches in AI Render
Avatar levitated and had rendering errors during the live broadcast.
Data Inputs
Use of Past Speeches for Training
Producers used historical audio of the candidate to train the model.
Lack of Consent for Data Use
Candidate voice and image were used without his explicit authorization.
Human Factors
Candidate Refusal to Attend
Orsi decision not to attend prompted the producers to find an alternative.
Host Retaliation and Provocation
Host used the AI to mock the candidate for not appearing on the show.
Public Misinterpretation Risk
Viewers might believe the simulated statements were actually spoken live.
Process and Methods
Unprecedented Use of AI Simulation
No established protocol for simulating political candidates on live TV.
Inadequate Disclaimer Layout
Visual disclaimer was used but did not prevent potential clip viralization.
Management
Prioritizing Drama over Ethics
Show producers prioritized ratings and controversy over journalistic ethics.
Inadequate Risk Assessment
Management failed to foresee the political and democratic backlash.
Regulatory Environment
Lack of AI Campaign Regulations
Uruguay lacked specific legal rules governing AI use in political campaigns.
No Precedents for Media AI Use
Absence of ethical standards or legal precedents for media-generated avatars.
AI system involved
Identified by automated extraction; can differ from the alleged developers above.
