Michigan Credit Union CEO Apologizes for AI Photo of Her Family in ‘Lake America’ Sweatshirts
She later apologized for this decision.
Jane Smith, CEO of Family First Credit Union in Saginaw, Michigan, has apologized for an AI-generated photo that showed her family in matching “Lake America” sweatshirts, CTV News reported. Smith told ABC12 the family took a photo at the Detroit airport before boarding a flight to Halifax for a planned 10-day trip, used ChatGPT to generate an image of what they would look like in the sweatshirts, and posted it to her personal Facebook page.
Smith said the idea came from conversations her family had about Trump’s order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. She told ABC12 they were “kind of poking fun” at the name change and “weren’t trying to make a political statement.”
Smith Says the AI Label Got Dropped
Smith said her original post included a marker showing it contained AI content. She said her sister then shared the image publicly in Halifax without the marker and with her own comment, CBC News reported. The post’s caption read, “Like our sweatshirts? Not sure Canada will,” followed by “lol lol,” CBC reported, and the image drew backlash online from Canadians. Smith told ABC12 her family cut the trip short and returned to Michigan early because they were receiving death threats. She did not elaborate, CBC reported.
In a statement to ABC12, Smith apologized, calling the image “insensitive, distasteful, and in poor judgment.” “Though the image did not depict a real event, I understand that the image was hurtful and offensive,” she said. “I made a mistake.”
Family First Credit Union’s board also issued a statement to ABC12 calling the post “unacceptable” and saying the credit union supports and respects its Canadian neighbors. The board said the post was made in Smith’s personal capacity, without the credit union’s authorization or knowledge, and that it is determining what steps to take.
The Reaction Goes Beyond One Post
The Lake Ontario renaming has drawn reaction well beyond Smith’s post. Apple and Google both changed the name of Lake Ontario on their maps for U.S. users, while Canadian users still see Lake Ontario. MapQuest said it would not change the name, and it reached the top of the App Store charts, CNN Business reported.
It isn’t the first renaming Trump has ordered. MapQuest’s general manager said the company took the same approach it did with the Gulf of Mexico, which Trump renamed the Gulf of America.
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