Coverage

The 50-year-old millionaire, with an “I AM NOT ELECTION-GRIFTIN’ JUDGE GRIFFIN” sign around his neck, is staging a one-man protest against Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin’s attempt to throw out 60,000 votes in the North Carolina Supreme Court election.

This weekend’s N.C. State Fair attendees may be wondering why they’re seeing an airplane flying a banner asking if they’re on GOP candidate Michele Morrow’s “kill list.”

The banner is part of a $300,000 ad campaign from the super PAC Americans for Prosparody to try to keep Morrow from being elected state superintendent of public instruction.

But one Democratic donor is embracing the technology in the high-stakes race for governor of North Carolina. Todd Stiefel, founder of Americans for Prosparody — an outside group that’s spoofing the GOP outfit Americans for Prosperity — said the group is spending around $1 million on an AI-generated ad that parodies Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the GOP’s embattled candidate for the open gubernatorial seat, by recreating his image and voice to highlight some of his controversial views.

Using AI-generated visuals and IRL quotes, a parody political action committee (PAC) is taking on North Carolina's embattled lieutenant governor and GOP candidate Mark Robinson — and AI itself.

Released by a group calling itself Americans for Prosparody, the fake ad has all the hallmarks of AI uncanniness: weird hands and fingers, jerky serpentine motions, and a voice that sounds like Robinson's but somehow inhuman.

Americans for Prosparody is hoping a million-dollar ad campaign using a controversial blend of comedy, satire, and artificial intelligence can turn disengaged voters against North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee in the state’s gubernatorial race. The Democratic-leaning political action committee’s groundbreaking initiative marks the first time it has reserved air time on TV and created a long-form AI-generated ad, which launched in North Carolina on Tuesday.

Just last week, liberal North Carolina donor Todd Stiefel pledged in an interview with NR to pour $1 million from his own pockets into a “Mark Rottenson” parody campaign — complete with a website and digital advertising — satirizing the GOP candidate for his controversial rhetoric.

Todd Stiefel’s satire PAC is launching a mobile and digital campaign featuring the Republican gubernatorial candidate speaking in an AI-generated voice.