Pratt-Backed AI Videos Draw Millions as Bass Warns of Dangerous 2026 LA Race Trend
Updated
Updated · KABC-TV · May 19
Pratt-Backed AI Videos Draw Millions as Bass Warns of Dangerous 2026 LA Race Trend
6 articles · Updated · KABC-TV · May 19
Millions of views have pushed AI-generated videos casting Spencer Pratt as a superhero and Karen Bass as a villain into the center of Los Angeles' mayoral race.
Supporters — not Pratt's campaign — are making and sharing the clips, a grassroots tactic analysts say can energize backers by turning user-generated content into political participation.
Pratt has amplified the videos on his own channels, while experts say the imagery reinforces the anti-establishment persona he is projecting and a dystopian critique of Bass, Gov. Gavin Newsom and city leadership.
Bass called the pro-Pratt AI videos a dangerous trend, citing violent imagery and the risk they could provoke unstable viewers, while analysts still question whether the online engagement will translate into actual votes.
As AI makes political deepfakes hyper-realistic, how can voters confidently separate fact from fiction during elections?
Will new federal laws manage to ban deceptive political AI while still protecting creative freedoms like parody and satire?
With Hollywood facing an AI revolution, will this technology ultimately create more jobs than it eliminates for the city's artists?
AI Deepfakes and the 2026 Los Angeles Mayoral Race: How Synthetic Media Is Reshaping U.S. Elections and the Legal Battle to Regulate It
Overview
Spencer Pratt shook up the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral race by using generative AI to create highly stylized, attention-grabbing videos that quickly went viral online. These AI-generated videos, which feature Pratt in heroic roles like Batman and Luke Skywalker satirizing political rivals, became a central and controversial part of his campaign. The viral content boosted Pratt’s online popularity and raised his national profile, making his unconventional strategy a major talking point in the election. This approach highlights how AI is reshaping political messaging and influencing public perception in modern campaigns.