Sánchez's legless video fuels AI manipulation theory

Sánchez's legless video at La Mareta reopens doubts about AI

A video released from La Mareta, the Spanish government's official retreat in Lanzarote, shows Pedro Sánchez sitting at a meeting table wearing a suit and tie. And apparently without legs. The scene, which has spread like wildfire on social media, has revived a suspicion that has been around for several seasons now: that the prime minister is an image generated by artificial intelligence. None of this is new, but this time the image comes with technical details that fuel the controversy.

Signs pointing to a fake

Several clues have been pointed out. The most striking: under the table there is no trace of a body, and the floor reflects nothing either. There is no laptop. There is no webcam. The room's television is placed in an awkward position, more suited to the camera framing than to actual use. Those who back the manipulation theory also point out that the prime minister is using an optical mouse on a glass surface, which does not work without a mouse pad. The detail, apparently minor, has become the centrepiece of the controversy.

Against that reading, some argue it is simply a matter of camera angle. A leg can actually be made out next to the table leg in the image, and it is argued that the spread of these photos distracts from more serious matters. Others believe the video is real but was recorded some time ago, and that the clothing matches previous appearances.

The 2021 espadrilles precedent

The scene has brought to mind another image released in August 2021, also from La Mareta, during a meeting on the evacuation of Afghanistan. Back then, the prime minister appeared wearing a suit on top and espadrilles under the table. The photo sparked countless memes because of the contrast between the solemnity of the meeting and the summer footwear. Back then the debate was aesthetic; now, the doubt is ontological: if the prime minister has real legs, why do they seem to be missing from the image?

What remains unexplained

The controversy coincides with criticism of the Spanish government's absence from current affairs, such as the situation in Ceuta, although the link between the two matters is more political than technical. So far there has been no official response from the executive about the origin of the image. The detail that throws the supporters of the manipulation theory off balance is precisely the mouse pad: a physical element that an AI does not need but which appears in the recording. If it was needed for the mouse, someone put it there. And that someone, according to the footage, has no legs.