Brady Tkachuk Denounces AI-Generated Video, Addresses White House Visit

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk has publicly distanced himself from an AI-generated video released by the White House that falsely depicts him making disparaging remarks about Canada. The video surfaced following the U.S. Men’s hockey team’s gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics, raising concerns about the employ of artificial intelligence in political messaging.

AI-Generated Controversy

The White House’s TikTok account published the video, which features Tkachuk seemingly saying, “They booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple syrup-eating f***s a lesson.” Tkachuk has emphatically denied ever making such a statement, confirming the video is AI-generated and does not reflect his views. “Well, it’s clearly fake, because it’s not my voice, not my lips moving,” Tkachuk stated on Thursday The Guardian.

The video, labeled as AI-generated, has garnered over 10 million views. Tkachuk, who plays for the Ottawa Senators in the Canadian capital, expressed his discomfort with the video, stating, “I would never say that. That’s not who I am, so I guess I don’t like that video because that would never come out of my mouth and never had that thought.” Yahoo Sports

White House Visit and Trump’s Comments

Following the Olympic win, the U.S. Team was invited to the White House by President Donald Trump and attended the State of the Union address. During a call with the team, Trump joked about inviting both the men’s and women’s hockey teams to avoid impeachment, a remark that U.S. Women’s team captain Hilary Knight later called “distasteful and unfortunate.” The New York Times

Some reports suggest Tkachuk could be heard shouting “Close the northern border” during the call with President Trump, but he has denied these claims. The Guardian

Tkachuk described the experience of visiting the White House as “a dream come true,” stating, “I remember thinking, being in the Oval Office, ‘How did I get here?’ It was special.” The New York Times

Tkachuk’s Focus Remains on Ottawa

Despite the attention surrounding the White House visit and the AI-generated video, Tkachuk remains focused on his role as captain of the Ottawa Senators. He emphasized that his desire to play in Ottawa has not been affected by the Olympic experience. Yahoo Sports