A LEGO Doug Ford sips whiskey aboard a private jet in an AI-generated music video that has racked up hundreds of thousands of views across social media. The parody, created by a Canadian expat in Switzerland, is part of a wave of AI-generated political content testing Ontario's readiness for the next election. 'The big concern is the authenticity of the content,' said University of Toronto professor Ebrahim Bagheri, warning that deepfakes pose a 'substantial threat' to democratic integrity.
The video, titled The Gravy Plane, lampoons Premier Doug Ford's brief and controversial purchase of a $29 million government jet. It features a country-music soundtrack and hidden details—Ford's phone buzzing with a court order, a hospital bed in a hallway—that only Ontario politics insiders would catch. Creator Alex Huot, a former Ottawa restaurateur who moved to Switzerland 25 years ago, told Global News he spent a week and a few hundred dollars on AI subscriptions to produce it. 'I happened to stumble on this story of the purchase of a $29 million plane, and then in a few days they announced they were selling it back, and I was like, This story will write itself,' Huot said.
He used tools like Suno, Nano Banana, and Higgsfield to generate music, images, and video, refining the jet interior scene a dozen times. The result blends Miami Vice aesthetics with Etobicoke, the premier's home turf. The video's success has pulled Huot into Ontario's political orbit.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser, and Progressive Conservative Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta now follow him on Instagram. A school board trustee asked to use the song in a meeting. 'Honestly, that's quite humbling for me,' Huot said. But not all AI political content is so clearly labeled satire.
In early May, a group called IntegrityTO posted a deepfake video of Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. It showed her at a podium, lips synced to a fake voice, announcing highway closures on a weekend when Lionel Messi was in town and three Blue Jays games were scheduled. The real city did shut down the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway that weekend, causing gridlock and anger.
IntegrityTO's executive director, Daniel Tate, insisted the video was not meant to deceive. 'I think anybody with any degree of common sense would know that it's AI, because it sounded nothing like her voice,' he said, comparing it to a political cartoon. But the post fooled some commenters on X, and both conservatives and Chow supporters condemned it. Ebrahim Bagheri, an expert in responsible AI at the University of Toronto, said the technology is a double-edged sword. 'The ones with animations and the Lego figures are obviously creative work, and people will realize that immediately,' he said. 'However, on the other side, you have the deepfakes, where people generate videos of public figures.' He warned that deepfakes are becoming a 'substantial threat to the integrity of our society.'
Stephen Taylor, whose company created the media-monitoring AI tool Flashbulb, sees the same danger. 'It's not just people making videos about the premier and his plane, it can be foreign interference and people trying to manipulate how we see domestic political issues from the point of view of an adversarial power,' he said. He believes voters will develop an 'antennae' for AI, much as they adapted to Photoshop. Bagheri predicts AI video tools will soon reach 'competitive parity,' where the average person can generate convincing clips.
That timeline concerns Ontario Liberals. Interim leader John Fraser tabled a bill to require disclosure and quality control for AI-generated political content. 'Basically, you can do just about anything, you can have anybody saying anything or doing anything, and that breaks down trust,' Fraser said. 'All of a sudden, people don't know if what they're seeing is real.'
The Progressive Conservatives voted the bill down. Without legislation, Bagheri said the best practice is simple: 'One of the key things is disclosure.' He also stressed quality control, though neither is enforceable. The economic toll extends beyond politics.
The City of Toronto's highway closure—unrelated to AI but amplified by the deepfake—strangled a weekend meant to boost local businesses. The mess showed how easily manipulated media can inflame real-world frustration. Behind the diplomatic language lies a stark divide.
Huot insists no party contacted him, and his work is purely satirical. IntegrityTO claims the same. But the Chow video crossed a line for many, proving that even clumsy deepfakes can erode trust when they mimic news formats.
What this actually means for your family. If AI can make any politician appear to say anything, voters may struggle to separate fact from fiction before casting ballots. The policy says one thing.
The reality says another. Both sides claim victory. Here are the numbers: Huot's video cost under $300 to produce and reached hundreds of thousands.
A similar deepfake could target a local candidate with a tiny budget. Why It Matters: Ontario's next election, expected by 2026, will be the first in Canada where AI-generated content can be produced cheaply and spread instantly. Without rules, voters may face a flood of fake videos, audio clips, and images designed to sway opinions.
The Progressive Conservatives' rejection of the Liberal bill leaves the field open for both satire and sabotage. Key takeaways: - AI-generated political content, from LEGO parodies to deepfakes, is already shaping Ontario's political discourse. - Creator Alex Huot spent under $300 to produce a viral video that caught the attention of party leaders. - A fake video of Mayor Olivia Chow fooled some viewers, highlighting the risk of deception even with low-quality AI. - The Ontario Liberals' bill to regulate AI in elections was defeated by the governing Progressive Conservatives. What comes next.
Bagheri expects AI tools to become ubiquitous within a year, forcing voters and platforms to self-police. Taylor predicts a public learning curve, but foreign interference remains a wild card. The Ontario Liberals may reintroduce their bill, but with a majority PC government, its fate is uncertain.
Watch for Elections Ontario to issue guidance, though it lacks enforcement power. The real test will come during the next campaign, when a candidate's words—real or fake—could tip a close race.
Key Takeaways
— - AI-generated political content, from LEGO parodies to deepfakes, is already shaping Ontario's political discourse.
— - Creator Alex Huot spent under $300 to produce a viral video that caught the attention of party leaders.
— - A fake video of Mayor Olivia Chow fooled some viewers, highlighting the risk of deception even with low-quality AI.
— - The Ontario Liberals' bill to regulate AI in elections was defeated by the governing Progressive Conservatives.
Source: Global News Canada
