AI Image
American CEO Who Posted AI Photo in ‘Lake America’ Sweatshirts Is No Longer CEO
PetaPixel • • business
Key Points:
- Jane Smith, former CEO of Michigan-based credit union Family First, was removed from her position effective immediately following backlash over an AI-edited photo she posted depicting her family wearing “Lake America” sweatshirts in Canada.
- The AI-edited image referenced a controversial proposal to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America amid U.S.-Canada trade tensions, sparking outrage and death threats against Smith after it went viral online.
- Smith initially shared the photo privately with a note indicating it was AI-generated, but her sister's public repost without this marker led to widespread negative reaction and media coverage in Canada.
- Family First appointed COO Jason Acosta as interim CEO and issued an apology for the distress caused, though the company did not explicitly link Smith’s departure to the photo incident.
- Smith apologized publicly, expressing regret over the misuse of AI for humor and acknowledging the risks posed by AI-generated images being mistaken for real photographs.
