Townhall boss condemns ‘racist and malicious’ AI videos targeting her

A townhall boss has condemned a series of ‘racist and malicious’ AI-generated videos of her that were shared in a public group on social media.

The ‘bigoted’ deepfakes feature Oldham Council Leader Arooj Shah giving false information about council finances in an exaggerated South Asian accent. Other videos include lewd and sexualised videos of political figures removing their clothes in the townhall.

Cllr Shah condemned the ‘pathetic tactics’, which she stated ‘no one should be subjected to’. 

The Oldham leader said: “I am deeply shocked and horrified that a racist and malicious AI video has been created and circulated online about me. This is not just a personal attack, it’s an attack rooted in lies and bigotry, designed to dehumanise me. It is completely unacceptable.

“No one, in public life or otherwise, should be subjected to this. Racism and the deliberate spread of harmful falsehoods have no place in our borough or anywhere else.

“I want to be absolutely clear: these pathetic tactics will not deter me from serving the people of Oldham.” 

The videos, shared widely online, were first posted by a wine merchant David Griffiths on a local Facebook page supporting the far-right political group Advance UK. Griffiths and the page admins were approached for comment. 

A spokesperson for Advance UK clarified the page ‘has nothing whatsoever to do with Advance UK’.

The spokesperson said: “We have no official Facebook groups. We have no control, no involvement, and no connection with the group you referenced.

“Advance UK condemns deepfake content, racist or misogynistic material, harassment, or any form of sexualised manipulation – without exception. Any such posts are completely contrary to our values and have no place in our organisation or our official channels.”

A number of politicians have been targeted by deepfakes since the technology became more broadly available. Last month Conservative Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman referred an ‘AI-generated video’ of him to police, after it left people with the impression he had quit the party to join Reform UK. The video appeared to show Mr Freeman speaking to the camera while saying he was switching allegiance and joining Nigel Farage’s party. 

Several female politicians have also been targeted by deepfake pornography, with a Sky investigation uncovering fake footage of political figures including Angela Rayner, the Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne; Penny Mordaunt, the former Leader of the Commons and Conservative MP; and Priti Patel, former home secretary, among others. 

Under the Online Safety Act, it’s illegal to publicly share AI-generated content depicting fake intimate images, hate crimes, false communication, or harassment. The above-mentioned videos have been referred to police by the council.