AI videos fuel rhetoric as Orbán bids for four more years in Hungary

AI videos fuel rhetoric as Orbán bids for four more years in Hungary

As the Hungarian elections approach, the use of AI-generated content has intensified in political campaigns. A viral clip, depicting a soldier’s execution, has sparked alarm among voters. The video, which emerged in February, was shared by the Fidesz party, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, ahead of the 12 April vote. It portrays a young girl watching from a window as her father, a soldier, is bound, blindfolded, and shot by his captors.

The video is designed to undermine Orbán’s rival, Péter Magyar, who leads the Tisza party. Fidesz has claimed Magyar would bring Russia’s Ukraine war to Hungary’s borders if elected, accusing him of supporting military intervention and using public funds to aid the conflict. The fake video, however, explicitly labels itself as AI-generated, while its message warns of the war’s devastating impact.

“The video is an AI video, but the war is really horrible,” it states. “Péter Magyar doesn’t want you to see this video. He doesn’t want you to see what an irreversible tragedy it is to join a war.”

Magyar’s party has dismissed these claims, stating in its manifesto that it will not deploy troops to Ukraine and plans no return to conscription. Despite this, Fidesz allies continue to spread similar narratives through social media. A recent AI video shared by the pro-Fidesz group NEM shows a fictional phone call between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Magyar, suggesting he would be forced to send money to Ukraine.

NEM’s video was viewed over 3.7 million times before the group admitted it was AI-generated. Magyar criticized it as “heartless manipulation,” though it had already been amplified by government-aligned outlets. In another instance, anti-terrorism police detained Ukrainian bank workers carrying $80 million in cash and 9 kilograms of gold. The government alleged the funds were meant to support pro-Ukraine forces, while the workers’ employer, Oschadbank, called the operation routine.

Támas Menczer, communications director of the Fidesz-KNDP alliance, defended the AI strategy, stating, “The greatest possible danger is that Hungarian people could die if Tisza wins, because Tisza supports the war, Tisza supports sending money.” He did not confirm whether the execution video was AI-made. Meanwhile, Éva Bognár, a researcher at the Central European University’s Democracy Institute, described the campaign as a “state of hallucination,” emphasizing the false narrative of impending war.

The use of generative AI in political messaging has become widespread, according to Zsófia Fülöp of Hungary’s independent fact-checking site Lakmusz. While such tactics are not new, their scale and frequency in the current election cycle have raised concerns. Despite the AI-driven attacks, Magyar remains ahead in opinion polls, indicating the strategy may not yet sway voters.