N.C. senator runs AI-made ad showing opponent in twisted poses

North Carolina Sen. Michael Lee ran an ad showing opponent Jessica Bichler, made with AI software, twisting into odd shapes. Bichler, a yoga studio owner, faces Lee in a Wilmington-area Senate district in 2026. The ad disclosed AI use. Lee told NPR voters in his district are “smart enough to spot comedy and obvious parody when they see it.”