U.S. Representative Mike Collins (R-GA) is challenging Democratic incumbent Senator Jon Ossoff in the 2026 Georgia Senate election. This week, Collins released a video of what appears to be Ossoff saying things he did not say, including “I just voted to keep the government shut down” and “they say it’ll hurt farmers, but I wouldn’t know. I’ve only seen a farm on Instagram.”
At the bottom of the video, in very small, fine print, it says: “This video is AI-generated.”
Opening this door will not end well for you.
Internet, do your thing. https://t.co/B0lUlhgdUk
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 14, 2025
Collins is being slammed by both conservatives and liberals, with more than one commenter replying, “This is a new low.” One Democrat warned, “@MikeCollinsGA is making deep fake AI videos of @ossoff and I suspect he’s gonna regret it.”
Another Democrat replied: “That’s the tiniest disclaimer! You know damn well that some people won’t realize this is AI. You’re so unlikable that you have to do these? Pretty embarrassing for you.”
The Lincoln Project, a group of anti-Trump conservatives, replied: “Nothing says ‘trust me’ like AI deep fake ads and supporting pedophiles. Loser.”
Yet not all commenters were offended by the AI use. On Facebook, the divergent reactions reflected the divided American electorate, with some commenters characterizing Collins’s use of the new technology as savvy rather than disingenuous — and placing the burden on voters to distinguish reality from fakery.
“It’s a meme,” one Collins supporter wrote, “and memes win elections. Believe it or not, that’s on y’all. Catch up, adapt or be left behind. Too bad the left can’t meme.”
Still, many taking time to respond believe, as one expressed, that “it should be immediately disqualifying if a politician does an AI deepfake of their opponent.”
Another objected fiercely to the notion that AI fakes were merely the innocuous embrace of new technology, writing:
“Creating an AI-generated fake response and passing it off as a real statement isn’t ‘using new technology’—it’s deliberate misinformation. It blurs the line between truth and fabrication at the exact moment when people most need trustworthy information. When any campaign normalizes tactics like this, it erodes public trust and weakens the foundation of informed voter choice.”
Note: Ossoff responded to the Collins campaign made video by pledging not to use deepfake campaign videos.