ST. CHARLES COUNTY (First Alert 4) – With two weeks until Election Day, a fully AI-generated political ad targeting candidates in the St. Charles County executive race is drawing scrutiny over the role of deepfakes in local elections.
The ad depicts County Executive Steve Ehlmann alongside his Republican primary opponent, Bill Eigel. It was paid for by a third candidate in the race, Jason Law, who said he was inspired by a viral AI ad from Spencer Pratt’s mayoral campaign in Los Angeles.
“It was amazing how that went viral and we were thinking, why don’t we bring this to Missouri?” Law said.
Law said his own appearance in the ad is also AI-generated. He acknowledged the production was not inexpensive but said it generated tens of thousands of views within the first 24 hours.
“I didn’t want my campaign to be flat out attacking people — that’s just not who I am,” Law said. “I wanted to get the message out in a more funny way and clever way.”
After being shown the ad, Ehlmann, though, said he was not amused.
“If there weren’t the lies, the fact that it’s a lie, the lies are what bother me the most,” Ehlmann said.
Ehlmann said he hopes voters will not be swayed by the tactic.
“I’ve tried to be a statesman and not a stuntman,” he said. “And this is a stunt.”
Eigel declined an on-camera interview but called the ad a dishonest portrayal and said Missouri may need to look into regulating AI in political advertising going forward.
Dr. Timothy Lewis, a dean at Harris-Stowe State University, said AI is playing a significant role in this local election cycle, from animated characters to talking animals.
“AI is everywhere,” Lewis said. “And it’s not exploding. The explosion has occurred.”
Lewis said there is currently no comprehensive federal election regulation covering AI deepfakes of real people. While some states have moved to ban AI deepfakes in political ads or require disclaimers, Missouri and Illinois have not.
“Typically, as is the pattern in American politics, when some new technology comes on the scene, that technology tends to outpace the law,” Lewis said.
Lewis added that most voters do not know the difference between what is real and what is AI-generated, placing a greater responsibility on the public.
“Without any laws regulating AI, it places a greater burden on the voter, on the citizen to be informed,” Lewis said.
Lewis urged voters to verify information before casting a ballot.
“So you should always cross-reference information,” he said.
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