A senior York politician who has been targeted by AI-generated deepfake images has been given police advice to step up security at his home.
A fake video appears to show Pete Kilbane, the city council's Labour deputy leader, handing cash to men in balaclavas. An unspecified flag then appears behind him.
Kilbane said he was "shocked" when he first saw the video, adding: "This is an attempt to undermine democracy and make legitimate, factual debate impossible."
A City of York Council spokesperson said the material was "not satire," but was being produced "with the deliberate intention of misleading people".
Last September, after hundreds of national flags were flown across York, Kilbane said removing them could cost up to £250,000.
