Republican Pennsylvania Treasurer and current gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity has sparked backlash after defending her use of AI in a recent political ad. Garrity was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she talked about data centers and her vision for the state’s future, addressing the controversial ad.
As reported by WTAE TV, Garrity defended a recent AI ad that depicted her opponent, Governor Josh Shapiro, without his consent. In it, a deepfake-generated Shapiro defended data centers, discussed scandals one of his aides was allegedly involved in, and more.
Garrity also said that Shapiro attacked the ad, but not what it said, because it was “all true.” She also accused Shapiro of encouraging data centers to be built in Pennsylvania without proper guardrails.
Shapiro’s campaign officially responded to Garrity, however, saying it was “unsurprising” that a candidate picked by Donald Trump would defend AI. The campaign also reportedly jabbed at Garrity, saying, “Hopefully, AI can be a good friend and provide comfort to Treasurer Garrity in the closing days of her disastrous, flailing campaign.”
Pennsylvania Criticizes Stacy Garrity’s Recent Positions
Unsurprisingly, Garrity’s doubling down on the controversial AI ads angered many folks on r/Pennsylvania, as they considered the ad terrible. One person wrote: “That ad is horrific. Hopefully, PA can pass a law preventing AI ads, because it was awful in a lot of ways.”
Others slammed Garrity for defending AI while avoiding the subject when criticizing her opponent: “Just a reminder that, during their debate, when asked about her flip-flopping on AI policies, she chose instead to talk about Israel.”
Another person wrote: “She’s gonna lose so badly it may set a record. She’s blaming Shapiro for the high gas tax passed by Republican Governor Corbett and GOP House and Senate. And she’s blaming a governor for high property taxes controlled locally. She’s a lame candidate.”
Overall, the reaction to the ad was overwhelmingly negative: “While the general populace seems to disagree, the primary factor I look for in any candidate is integrity and virtue. If Garrity is ok with that ad, it wholly speaks to her character as a person.”
With less than two weeks until Election Day, Pennsylvania voters will soon decide who will become the next governor. However, despite the controversy surrounding the ads, Garrity is trailing in the polls, making the race an uphill battle for her.
