Du Quoin, Illinois — Illinois state Rep. Dave Severin says an AI-manipulated photo falsely made it appear that he was warmly posing with Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, triggering threatening and hostile comments online.
The original photo was taken Aug. 28 at the Du Quoin State Fair after Severin introduced Pritzker to constituent Dan “Curley” Summers. The governor’s public schedule confirms he attended the fair’s opening that evening.
Severin said someone later altered the image to place Pritzker’s arm around him and make both men appear to be giving thumbs-up gestures. He called the edited version “100% bogus.” The manipulated image was then circulated with a caption claiming Severin had endorsed Pritzker’s reelection campaign.
The Center Square reported that the post drew more than 500 comments, including threats and hateful messages directed at Severin. He later publicly denied endorsing Pritzker and reaffirmed his support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey.
Pritzker’s campaign did not respond before publication, though the governor has previously criticized deceptive political uses of artificial intelligence and said AI-generated political material should be clearly labeled.
The incident comes as AI-generated political content becomes increasingly common in Illinois campaigns. Bailey’s campaign has also openly used AI-created images in social media posts, according to Capitol News Illinois and NPR Illinois.
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