AI turned a disgraced President under house arrest into a live avatar for another election campaign

An AI-generated avatar of Jair Bolsonaro appeared at Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign launch in São Paulo, endorsing Flávio and backing the Bolsonaro movement.

Left-wing and center-left parties filed a complaint with Brazil’s electoral court, arguing the video may violate rules on synthetic media and misleading political content.

The video included an AI disclosure, but the case raises a legal gray area over whether Bolsonaro’s restricted status can be sidestepped through an avatar.

The dispute could set an important precedent for how Brazil regulates AI-generated political messaging in elections.