Spencer Pratt’s viral AI campaign ads spark buzz in Los Angeles mayor’s race
Spencer Pratt’s viral AI campaign ads spark buzz
Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt is sharing viral AI-generated political ads as he campaigns for mayor of Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES - Can the viral AI-generated pro-Spencer Pratt ads help push him toward becoming the next mayor of Los Angeles?
The former reality star is out with a new ad of his own Monday and has been sharing AI-generated ads that are gaining traction online.
Pratt came out with a new ad Monday, reminding voters why he's running for mayor, all while addressing reports about whether he lives in the Airstream trailer prominently featured in his campaign.
"It literally gave him an opportunity to reinforce to voters why he's running for mayor because his home burned down in the Palisades fire, and the response that the city of LA provided was not working," said Republican strategist Matt Klink.
The 42-year-old is generating clicks and conversations online with his blunt videos highlighting issues of crime and homelessness in Los Angeles.
Pratt’s campaign did not create the viral AI videos. But it's the artificial intelligence ads that Pratt has been re-sharing that are generating a lot of buzz.
FOX 11 reached out to Nithya Raman's campaign and Mayor Karen Bass' campaign for a comment on the AI ads, some of which depict them.
A Karen Bass campaign spokesperson released the following statement:
"Spencer is doing his best Trump impression, but it’s not going to work in LA."
"Hollywood jobs are being devastated by AI. Meanwhile, Spencer Pratt is using his platform to promote AI-generated content, amplifying the very technology replacing the workers he claims to care about," Nithya Raman said in a statement. "Our videos are made by working film and television professionals who believe Los Angeles can be better. We are proud of that difference."
"Artificial intelligence has been around for a while," said Klink.
He points out that Pratt is not the first to share AI-generated ads, but says there is a reason they're resonating online.
"Whether you support the mayor or the incumbent, or whether you support Nithya Raman or Spencer Pratt, I don't think anybody is going to say that they're happy with the trajectory that Los Angeles is on," said Klink.
Some warn that certain AI ads can lead to voter deception.
"They call those deepfakes. That's the dangerous way to use artificial intelligence," said Klink.
He says that's not the case for the ads Pratt is sharing. But the question now is whether all these viral ads will actually translate to votes.
"A lot of people say, ‘Oh, it's a political ad. I'm just going to tune it out.’ But you start to watch these things, and they capture your attention," said Klink. "That's the first step toward convincing someone why they should vote for you."
FOX 11 also reached out to Pratt's campaign for a comment. We are waiting to hear back.