Backlash Against Volkswagen's AI-Powered Ad: "Have You Forgotten Your Collaboration with the Military Dictatorship?"

National Singer Late Ellis Hejina - Daughter Duet Appearance
Ellis Hejina Endured Hardships During Military Dictatorship Era

The car brand Volkswagen introduced a 'novel' advertisement using artificial intelligence (AI) in Brazil, but it has instead faced backlash, local Brazilian media G1 and O Globo reported on the 14th (local time).

Volkswagen vehicle

Since this month, Volkswagen has been airing a TV commercial featuring Brazil's national singer Elis Regina (1945?1982) as the main character.

The video shows Elis Regina performing a duet with her daughter, who is also a famous singer, Maria Rita. Elis Regina passed away when Maria Rita was four years old.

Marking its 70th anniversary in Brazil, Volkswagen told local media that "using AI deepfake technology, we were able to bring Elis Regina back to the screen."

Volkswagen stated, "One of the greatest singers in Brazilian music history reunited with her daughter, who has grown into an icon in the present day," adding, "We invested over 2,400 hours and great effort to create a very unique moment using AI technology."

The nostalgic advertisement, contrary to Volkswagen's original intention, has faced backlash primarily on social media (SNS).

The criticism targets Volkswagen's past actions. It is seen as hypocritical for Volkswagen, which cooperated with the military dictatorship, to use a national singer who resisted the dictatorship to advertise its products.

Volkswagen was criticized for collaborating with the military during Brazil's military regime (1964?1985), including widespread human rights abuses such as torturing workers.

Elis Regina was a figure who suffered hardships, including repression, due to her resistance activities against the military dictatorship.

G1 reported, "Regarding Volkswagen's recent advertisement, there is a growing atmosphere of condemnation, with comments such as 'it tarnishes the deceased's honor' and 'an advertisement that deserves ethical and moral criticism.'"

Amid intense controversy, Brazil's advertising regulatory agency (CONAR) has launched an investigation into whether the advertisement violates advertising ethics.

CONAR explained, "We will comprehensively assess whether it is appropriate to use AI technology to feature deceased individuals in advertisements and whether there is a risk that some children and adolescents might confuse fiction with reality."

Meanwhile, Volkswagen established a car factory in Brazil in 1953. At that time, Volkswagen was the first multinational automobile company to build a factory in Brazil.

Volkswagen issued a separate statement regarding the incident, explaining, "We reached prior agreement with the bereaved family concerning the use of Elis Regina's image and related portrait rights."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.