Staff error behind AI-generated nurse post, says MP

MP Sureena Brackenridge says there was no intention to mislead people after a story about a fictional nurse was posted on her social media channels.

The post, about "Maya" who was struggling to find affordable housing, appeared on the Wolverhampton North East Labour MP's feeds last month.

After being highlighted as AI-generated by charity Full Fact, the post was deleted from X and edited on Facebook to say "Maya is fictional, but this is the reality for millions of working people".

Councillor Simon Bennett, leader of the Conservatives on City of Wolverhampton Council, said people wanted "honesty and transparency" from elected officials.

After the post had been edited, Brackenridge said: "While the intention was to communicate policy in an accessible way, it should have been made clear from the outset that the image and accompanying narrative were illustrative rather than depicting a real individual."

She explained a member of her staff had posted the item.

"As soon as the issue was brought to my attention, the post was amended to make this clear," she explained.

Brackenridge said procedures in her office had been changed to ensure the post could not happen again.

But Bennett said: "If you are using a fictional character and an AI-generated image to make a political point, that should be made crystal clear from the outset.

"This is about trust. When politicians share stories online, people should be able to know whether they are reading about a real constituent, a real worker, or a fictional example created to make a political argument."

Earlier this year Brackenridge's husband, a former Mayor of Wolverhampton, resigned from his council seat after he was found to have falsely claimed to have served as a Royal Marine.

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