“Voter fraud? What are you talking about? ” says an AI-generated version of the Hollywood star as she’s taken away by two police officers.
A new political ad depicting Sydney Sweeney is turning the heads of political junkies and casual observers alike.That said, the depiction of the Hollywood star is constructed entirely using generative AI. And while that may initially come as a disappointment to some, the ad goes on to make a salient and humorous point about election integrity and voter fraud.
FULL AD HERE:
The ad supports Proposition 39, a ballot measure which—if approved—would require voters to present a government-issued ID as a prerequisite to vote. It would require the state government to maintain accurate voter registration lists, verify voters’ citizenship status, and report findings to the public when audited.
When asked for his name at a voting center, a balding, overweight man repeatedly attests that he is Sydney Sweeney.
“Can I see your ID then, Sydney Sweeney?” asks the election officer.
“Sharon, you can’t ask for ID,” says another.
Reluctantly, the first officer relinquishes a ballot. “Thank you for voting, Sydney.”
“You bet,” says the man as he confidently flips his hair.
The ad ends with a cutaway shot to the “real” Sydney Sweeney—which is to say an AI depiction of the actress—being arrested by two police officers.
“Voter fraud? What are you talking about?” she protests in vain.
It is among the first political ads of its kind to utilize a celebrity’s likeness in this way. Though the practice of using AI to depict elected officials in a positive or negative light is—as of this election cycle—not entirely new, the subject is usually a candidate or current representative rather than someone entirely outside the realm of politics.
A high profile example from earlier this year made waves for depicting Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) dining and then going through a hotel lobby with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN). The implication, of course, was that Rep. Massie is proverbially in bed with the radical left given that his voting record is not in lockstep with the Trump administration.
“Many older people voted against me because they believed I dated AOC and Omar. I told AOC I would never do that with Omar!” joked Rep. Massie on X.
Going back even further, in 2024, the nonprofit organization RepresentUs—which received substantial backing from left-wing voices and funders—ran an ad which went viral for depicting a mix of real and entirely AI-generated celebrities warning about the use of deepfakes. One distinguishing factor was that the ad did not explicitly support or oppose any individual campaign or ballot initiative, unlike the Prop 39 piece.
Prop 39 came to be thanks to Californians for Voter ID, a coalition created by Julie Luckey, the mother of Anduril Industries co-founder Palmer Luckey.
“Thirty-six states in the U.S. have implemented some form of voter identification requirement,” said Luckey. “Similarly, every country in Europe mandates that in-person voters present photo ID to cast their ballots. This practice is also standard in Canada, Japan, South Korea, India, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, and many other nations worldwide, spanning both developed and developing democracies… Voter ID is simply a common-sense policy.”
At this time, it’s unknown whether Sweeney herself, a resident of Florida, is aware of the ad and she has never publicly commented on election reform or California’s Prop 39. Many have speculated about her political leanings, however, when news broke that she is a registered Republican as of June 2024.
Only time will tell how this rather pioneering ad—and Prop 39 itself—will perform in the coming election.
