NYC Mayoral Candidate Andrew Cuomo Launches AI-Generated Campaign Ad Amid Criticism

Andrew Cuomo, a candidate in the New York City mayoral race, launched an AI-generated campaign ad depicting himself in various jobs, emphasizing his readiness to be mayor despite acknowledging there are jobs he can't do. The ad, costing $45,000 and aired ahead of the November 4 election, received mixed reactions, with critics on social media branding it as low-quality and some rivals, including Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani and Republican Curtis Sliwa, ridiculing the use of AI over human artists. Cuomo's campaign defended the ad as a humorous and positive use of AI, highlighting it as a creative and cost-effective approach to political advertising. This ad also marks one of the earliest uses of AI-generated imagery by a politician endorsing their own likeness, accompanied by a legal disclosure mandated by New York's 2024 law requiring transparency in AI-assisted political messaging. Mamdani, who leads Cuomo in the polls and has been attacked by Donald Trump, mocked Cuomo's AI-assisted efforts, suggesting a fake Cuomo might be preferable to the real one. Cuomo's campaign previously faced scrutiny for using AI in policy writing, underscoring ongoing debates over AI's role in politics and creative industries.