Jair Bolsonaro's AI Avatar Challenges Brazil's Election Rules as Son Launches Presidential Bid

Digital avatar of Jair Bolsonaro tests Brazil's AI election rules

An AI avatar of Brazil's jailed ex-president Jair Bolsonaro is testing new rules around the technology's use in elections before Latin America's largest democracy chooses its next leader later this year. A digital version of the hard-right populist, who is banned from communicating publicly following a conviction for plotting a coup, was projected at the presidential campaign launch of his son Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, sparking court challenges from leftwing parties. "I am imprisoned and silenced by an unjust and arbitrary decision, based on something I never did," said the image of the elder Bolsonaro in the video, shown on Saturday. "I ask you to welcome with open arms the person I have chosen to take my place -- flesh of my flesh, my son Flávio." Lawyers for the rightwing patriarch insisted on Wednesday that he had not authorised the use of his image and voice in the production after it prompted potential legal issues for both father and son. Parties allied with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who will seek re-election for a fourth non-consecutive term in October, alleged the electronic lookalike breached electoral regulations for AI and the terms of Bolsonaro's house arrest, granted on health grounds. Brazil's supreme court warned on Tuesday that if the elder Bolsonaro had given permission for the video then it could represent a "serious breach" of judicial orders and result in his return to prison. He is barred from using social media and any other form of "external communication" as a condition of the home detention. A lawyer for the former president said it was not possible for his client to have agreed to the content since his visitation rights are currently suspended. Critics alleged that Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, was trying to improperly benefit from the popularity of his father, still the paramount figure in Brazil's conservative movement with strong political brand power. The former army captain Jair Bolsonaro, 71, was sentenced to 27 years in September for planning a military putsch following electoral defeat to Lula in 2022. As AI stokes concerns over deepfakes and manipulated media in elections globally, the case is viewed as a watershed moment for regulations governing its political deployment in the South American nation. A coalition of parties that backs Lula complained to Brazil's top electoral tribunal that the Bolsonaro video violated norms on "synthetic content" because it recreated the image and voice of a living person. AI enhanced the emotional impact and ability to persuade voters, it alleged. The election watchdog has mandated that AI-generated or manipulated media is labelled and it has banned deepfakes to harm or favour candidates as well as "fake nudes". It declined to comment. Flávio Bolsonaro's team told the tribunal that the video did not breach any rules because it featured a clear, upfront warning that it was an AI simulation, nor was there any attempt to mislead. It argued that the digital avatar was the modern equivalent of masks worn at rallies. The court could force Flávio Bolsonaro out of the race if it decides he ran afoul of the AI norms, according to electoral lawyer Carlos Medrado, who added that it had not examined the rule before. "This is an opportunity for the court to establish the parameters," he said. "I have no doubt that [AI] will be one of the key themes of the 2026 elections." The younger Bolsonaro's presidential campaign has faltered in the wake of controversies, including alleged links to the suspected architect of a massive bank fraud and a public feud with his stepmother. The heir to Brazil's rightwing political dynasty has sought to deepen links with US President Donald Trump, an ally of his father. Brasília has been alert to potential election interference. Last week it denied visas to two American envoys over concerns they intended to question the integrity of the electoral process, in co-ordination with Bolsonaro. Washington denied the allegations. Additional reporting by Beatriz Langella

Brazil's Bolsonaro is barred from this year's election. Can his AI avatar campaign instead?

BRASILIA/SAO PAULO, July 28 (Reuters) - Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is under house arrest for plotting against democracy, but an AI-generated avatar allowed him to make a surprise appearance at the launch of his son Flavio's presidential campaign on Saturday, raising questions about how artificial intelligence may reshape October's presidential race in Latin America's largest economy. "No prison will silence the feeling of hope we have stirred," the avatar said, after telling the audience it had been made with artificial intelligence. "It's why I ask you to welcome with open arms the person I chose to replace me," it added. The stunt, promptly challenged in court by leftist parties, underscored a dilemma for Senator Flavio Bolsonaro's campaign against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term: how to capitalize on the enduring popularity ⁠of his father among conservatives when the former president is prohibited from communicating publicly. The case also highlights a new concern about AI in elections. While debate has largely focused on deepfakes spreading misinformation, the Bolsonaro episode is testing whether the technology can serve as a political surrogate for leaders barred from communicating directly with voters. But, whether the avatar's appearance was a one-off stunt or the start of a larger role for a virtual Bolsonaro on the campaign trail remains unclear. Critics argued the video violated Brazilian electoral rules because synthetic media can influence voters, while potentially offering a way around judicial restrictions imposed on Bolsonaro. The former president is barred from communicating publicly while under house arrest following his conviction for attempting to overturn the 2022 election, which he lost to Lula. "The challenge with artificial intelligence is that it is virtually impossible to control," Marco Aurelio Mello, a former justice who has also led Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE), told Reuters. QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER RESTRICTIONS APPLY In a petition filed ⁠with the electoral court on Sunday, a coalition of center-left and leftist parties argued that the rules "ban synthetic content capable of reproducing real people to influence voter intent," citing the technology's persuasive and manipulative potential. But the court's President Justice Kassio Nunes Marques, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by Bolsonaro, stopped short of condemning the video's use. "Using AI for campaigning is permissible, but what is forbidden is using it to harm someone," he told newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo. Nunes Marques said he could not comment on the ⁠case itself before it is reviewed by the court. He did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The court's AI rule bans the use of fabricated or manipulated content in electoral advertising to spread false or misleading information that could undermine the fairness of the election or the integrity of the electoral process. According to Ivar Hartmann, an associate law professor at Insper ⁠in Sao Paulo, Jair Bolsonaro is unlikely to face penalties because he can argue he neither recorded nor authorized the AI-generated message. The most complex question, Hartmann said, is whether the video violated the electoral court's AI rules, though the defense may argue those restrictions apply only to deceptive content that harms electoral fairness or integrity, an ⁠interpretation consistent with Nunes Marques' remarks. Senator Bolsonaro's team did not comment on the AI video. Local newspaper O Globo reported that Jair Bolsonaro had not been informed in advance that the video would be shown and that the campaign had concluded that disclosing that the video was generated by AI provided sufficient legal basis for its use. Reporting by Luciana Magalhaes in Sao Paulo and Ricardo Brito in Brasilia, editing by Manuela Andreoni and Aurora Ellis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Disrupted Ricardo Brito Thomson Reuters Ricardo Brito has covered Brazilian politics for over two decades, including five presidential elections, an impeachment, and Car Wash, one of the world's largest corruption scandals. Brito joined Reuters in 2017, covering politics, courts, offenses, Indigenous communities, and the environment. Recently, he has focused on investigations into the alleged attempted coup against Brazilian democracy in 2022 and crime in the Amazon rainforest. He won two well-known Brazilian awards, Abril (2008) and Estadao (2015), and was a finalist for 'Breaking News of the Year' in 2022 for coverage of Brazil's presidential bid. He once dreamed of being a basketball star, but has since resigned to being a Lakers fan.

Bolsonaro is banned from speaking. His AI avatar campaigned anyway.

Jair Bolsonaro is under house arrest and banned from speaking in public. At his son Flávio's campaign launch, a 46-second AI avatar of him addressed the crowd, openly declaring itself a simulation. That honesty is the point: it sidesteps Brazil's deepfake rules, which were written to catch lies, and tests whether a court-silenced politician can campaign through a screen. Lula's camp has taken it to the electoral court. Brazil ordered Jair Bolsonaro to stay silent. Last weekend, a giant AI version of him addressed a campaign rally anyway. At the launch of his son Flávio's presidential bid in São Paulo on Saturday, a video avatar of the jailed former president loomed over the crowd. The clever part was the confession. "What you see here is not me," it said. "This is a simulation of my image and my voice using artificial intelligence." Then it campaigned. "As everyone here knows, I am imprisoned and silenced by an unjust and arbitrary decision," the avatar said, before asking the crowd to back Flávio, "blood of my blood." Bloomberg timed the clip at 46 seconds, and both Reuters and AFP reported the appearance. Why this is not a normal deepfake The debate over AI in elections has focused on lies: fake videos that trick voters into believing something false. This clip does the opposite. It announces that it is synthetic. That honesty is the whole gambit. Bolsonaro is under house arrest, serving 27 years for plotting a coup after he lost the 2022 election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. A condition of that arrest is a ban on public communication, on social media or by any other means. He cannot phone, post or speak to a rally. An avatar can. That is the loophole the courts must now weigh: not whether the video deceived anyone, but whether a disclosed simulation lets a court-silenced man keep campaigning through a screen. The legal fight The challenge came fast. On Sunday, a coalition of Lula's campaign and other left and centre-left parties petitioned the Superior Electoral Court, the TSE. They argued Brazil's rules bar synthetic content that reproduces a real person to sway voters. Flávio's team fired back a day later. The video broke no rule, they said, because it disclosed its use of AI, caused no harm and never mixed fabricated footage with real images. On that reading, it is not a deepfake at all. Jair Bolsonaro, through his lawyer Paulo Cunha Bueno, denied authorising anything. He "did not authorise the use of his image and voice," the lawyer wrote, and "could not have done so," since he is barred from seeing visitors. He added that the former president had never objected to his children using his image. A court he helped build The judges are split in tone. The TSE's president, Justice Kássio Nunes Marques, whom Bolsonaro appointed to the Supreme Court, said using AI to campaign is permissible. What is forbidden, he added, is using it to harm someone. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes was sharper. Authorising the video could be a "serious violation" of the house-arrest terms, he warned, and using Bolsonaro's image to imply he is campaigning could amount to electoral disinformation. The stakes are steep. The TSE could disqualify Flávio's run if it finds the clip broke the rules. Bolsonaro himself is unlikely to be punished, said Insper law professor Ivar Hartmann, because he can argue he neither recorded nor approved it. One Lula coordinator predicted the most heavily litigated election since Brazil returned to democracy. The rules are already behind Politicians are reaching for avatars faster than the law can frame them. Malaysia's prime minister has fielded his own AI stand-in, and regulators are scrambling to respond. France plans to triple the penalties for AI-driven election disinformation. Most of those rules turn on disclosure. The EU's AI Act will force a label on synthetic media, and Brazil's own code targets fabricated content that misleads. The Bolsonaro clip met that bar and marched straight through it. India is wrestling with the flip side, opening a case over altered videos of its prime minister. That is the gap this stunt exposes. A label tells you a video is fake. It does not tell you whether a jailed politician should be allowed to speak through it. Brazil votes on 4 October. Its court has until then to decide.

Brazil court scrutinizes Jair Bolsonaro deepfake endorsing son

Brasília (AFP) - Brazil's Supreme Court has demanded an explanation from former president Jair Bolsonaro, after an AI-generated version of him appeared in a video urging supporters to back his son Flavio Bolsonaro in October elections. The former leader is barred from making public statements as he serves a 27-year sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup after losing Brazil's last election in 2022. However, as Flavio Bolsonaro officially launched his candidacy on Saturday, a deepfake video of his father was screened at the Liberal Party convention. "This is a simulation of my image and voice created using artificial intelligence. As everyone here knows, I am imprisoned and silenced by an unjust decision," said the digital replica of Bolsonaro. "I ask you to welcome with open arms the person I chose to replace me -- blood of my blood, my son Flavio," said the deepfake. In a ruling published Tuesday night, the court gave the former president's defense team 48 hours to explain whether the image was created with his consent. If it was, it could constitute a "serious violation" of the conditions of his house arrest, said justice Alexandre de Moraes. If the former president did not approve the video, Flavio Bolsonaro may have violated Brazil's electoral law, which prohibits the creation of deepfakes of public figures to convey political messages without their authorization, he added. Jair Bolsonaro, 71, served several months in prison before being allowed in March to be confined under house arrest due to health issues. He is not allowed to use social media, mobile phones or make public statements. On July 13, the Supreme Court barred Flavio Bolsonaro from visiting his father until after the first round of the election, after he read out a handwritten letter from Jair Bolsonaro on social media. Flavio Bolsonaro is the main rival to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term in office.

Brazil's Bolsonaro Is Barred From This Year's Election. Can His AI Avatar Campaign Instead?

By Ricardo Brito and Luciana Magalhaes BRASILIA/SAO PAULO, July 28 (Reuters) - Former Brazilian President Jair ⁠Bolsonaro ⁠is under house arrest for plotting against democracy, but ⁠an AI-generated avatar allowed him to make a surprise appearance at the launch of his son Flavio's presidential campaign on Saturday, raising questions about how artificial intelligence may reshape October's presidential race in Latin America's largest economy. "No prison will silence the feeling of hope we have stirred," the avatar said, after telling the audience it had been made with artificial intelligence. "It's why I ask you to welcome with open arms the person I chose to replace me," it added. The stunt, ⁠promptly challenged in court ⁠by leftist parties, underscored a dilemma for Senator Flavio Bolsonaro's campaign against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term: how to capitalize on the enduring popularity of his father among conservatives when the former president is prohibited from communicating publicly. The case also highlights a new concern about AI in elections. While debate has largely focused on deepfakes spreading misinformation, the Bolsonaro episode is testing whether the technology can serve as a political surrogate for leaders barred from communicating directly with voters. But, whether the avatar's appearance was a one-off stunt or the start ⁠of ⁠a larger role for a virtual ⁠Bolsonaro on the campaign trail remains unclear. Critics argued the video violated Brazilian electoral rules because synthetic media can influence voters, while potentially offering a way around judicial restrictions imposed on Bolsonaro. The former president is ⁠barred from communicating publicly while under house arrest following his conviction for attempting to overturn the 2022 election, which he lost to Lula. "The challenge with artificial intelligence is that it is virtually impossible to control," Marco Aurelio Mello, a former justice who has also led Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE), told Reuters. QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER RESTRICTIONS APPLY In a petition filed with the electoral court on Sunday, a coalition of center-left and leftist parties argued that the rules "ban synthetic content capable of reproducing real people ⁠to influence voter intent," citing the technology's persuasive and manipulative potential. But the court's President Justice Kassio Nunes Marques, who was ⁠appointed to the Supreme Court by Bolsonaro, stopped short of condemning the video's use. "Using AI for campaigning is permissible, but what is forbidden is using it to harm someone," he told newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo. Nunes Marques said he could not comment on the case itself before it is reviewed by the court. He did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The court's AI rule bans the use of fabricated or manipulated content in electoral advertising to spread false or misleading information that could undermine the fairness of the election or the integrity of the electoral process. According to Ivar Hartmann, an associate law professor at Insper in Sao Paulo, Jair Bolsonaro is unlikely to face penalties because he can argue he neither recorded nor authorized the AI-generated message. The most complex question, Hartmann said, is whether the video ⁠violated the electoral court's AI rules, though the defense may argue those restrictions apply only to deceptive content that harms electoral fairness or integrity, an interpretation consistent with Nunes Marques' remarks. Senator Bolsonaro's team did not comment on the AI video. Local newspaper O Globo reported that Jair Bolsonaro had not been informed in advance that the video would be shown and that the campaign had concluded that disclosing that the video was generated by AI provided sufficient legal basis for its use. (Reporting by Luciana Magalhaes in Sao Paulo and Ricardo Brito in Brasilia, editing by Manuela Andreoni and Aurora Ellis)