Cuomo’s AI-Driven Campaign Ad Sparks Mixed Reactions

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo has launched a campaign ad generated through artificial intelligence, showcasing various job scenarios, like MTA subway drivers and window washers.

In a $45,000 advertising effort aired on Wednesday, Cuomo’s team employed AI to demonstrate mayoral candidates busy at work, whether navigating city trains or suspended from skyscrapers on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

The AI version of Cuomo states, “I’m Andrew Cuomo and I was able to pretend to do a lot of work,” delivering this in a 30-second spot.

He continues, “But I know what I know, I know what I don’t know, and I know how to do government work. There are many jobs I can’t do, but I’m ready to be your mayor on the first day.”

Cuomo’s team touted this unique approach in a press release, calling it “one of the first positive and most visible uses of AI in paid political ads.”

Despite this, the ad drew some backlash online, with critics labeling it as a “slop” and questioning Cuomo’s lack of live filming in the video.

Amanda Littman, from the progressive group Run for Something, posed questions about the quality, asking, “Is this a bad ad for Cuomo, and somehow even worse ads for the use of AI?”

Others shared similar sentiments, noting that the ad’s reliance on AI only emphasized their disdain for it. One user remarked that Cuomo might have benefited from filming in front of an actual set or even using a green screen.

Cuomo’s competitors in the upcoming mayoral election also voiced their opinions. Candidate Zohran Mamdani pointed out similarities between this ad and Cuomo’s previous housing policies, quipping, “In a city filled with talented artists and production crews, Andrew Cuomo crafted ads in the same manner he wrote his housing plans.”

He humorously asked, “Is the fake Cuomo perhaps better than the real thing?”

GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa critiqued the ad during a press conference, commenting on the absurdity of the AI-generated window washing scene, saying, “I’m looking at squeegees, but it’s not even a squeegee!”

Sliwa added, “I think so many people laughed at his AI. That’s probably why it got so many clicks—people are just amused by how ridiculous it is. He’s never going to win.”

Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, defended the ad, stating it was intended as a “humorous attempt” to engage the audience.

Azzopardi countered the jabs from Cuomo’s critics, remarking, “The best irony is that Curtis Sliwa is a terrible clown.”