Andrew Cuomo’s mayoral campaign is responding to claims of racism related to an AI-generated video that it briefly released and then removed. The campaign insists that the video, which portrayed “Zoran Mamdani as a criminal,” was uploaded in error by a “low-level employee.”
The video, shared on Cuomo’s X account on Wednesday evening, featured a rudimentary AI-generated depiction of Mamdani alongside various characters, such as a pimp and a domestic abuser, who sarcastically supported the Democratic candidate.
“One woman dealing with domestic violence now has social workers instead of cops,” one character remarked as he looked over at a woman crouching nearby.
The video included scenes of a black man stealing from a convenience store, with his appearance shifting throughout the two-minute clip.
“It’s about decriminalizing petty crimes like shoplifting,” he said cheerfully just before robbing a store while wearing a face mask and a keffiyeh, a Middle Eastern scarf.
After the campaign took the video down, it was shared by others and faced backlash from many viewers, including Cuomo critic and Mamdani supporter Bill de Blasio.
“This is disqualifying. Candidates who support racist and offensive ads like this shouldn’t be in positions of power,” the former mayor commented on X.
Interestingly, de Blasio himself was featured in a similarly poorly made AI video from Cuomo’s campaign, which humorously linked Mamdani to Dr. Evil from “Austin Powers.”
The video aimed to parody Mamdani’s progressive criminal justice policies, including decriminalizing prostitution and lax bail laws, ending with an AI-generated Mamdani releasing a convicted criminal.
Cuomo’s city spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, stated that the video was a draft that hadn’t been completed or approved and that it was removed shortly after its unintended posting.
Since Cuomo lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary in June, his campaign has been focusing on bolstering its social media presence.
In regard to insights from last week’s mayoral debate, Cuomo acknowledged that he needs to enhance his style and outreach to voters, admitting that younger politicians excel in platforms like TikTok.
“I think Congress members did better on social media than I did during the campaign, and that’s something I’m addressing,” said Cuomo, who is 67.
Cuomo’s use of AI contrasts sharply with his previous campaign materials, which included a specific design he created for the 2020 State of the Union. This included a quote from Leonard Cohen urging resilience against greed and hate.
Rep. Alex Boas, D-Manhattan, mentioned that the “Zoran Mamdani Criminal” video could fall into a legal gray area regarding parody and satire, but he still believes Cuomo should refrain from using such tactics.
Boas sponsored legislation mandating disclaimers on certain AI-generated political content to mitigate issues related to deepfakes and noted that the ad could violate New York election laws.
“Misrepresentation might be a minor infraction, but campaigns warning against illegal practices shouldn’t engage in them,” he remarked.
