Advance UK used AI-generated rapper to spread anti-immigrant content
UK political party Advance UK paid an anonymous AI collective to create an AI-generated rapper persona called Danny Bones that promoted nationalist and anti-immigrant sentiment during the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election. The incident represents a first documented case of a registered UK political party using AI influencer content for extremist political messaging, with the synthetic content reaching millions of viewers before social media platforms removed it and regulators began investigating.
What happened
In February 2026, UK political party Advance UK covertly paid an anonymous AI collective called the Node Project to produce campaign content featuring 'Danny Bones,' an AI-generated rapper persona, during the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Danny Bones' content promoted nationalist and anti-immigrant sentiment, including lyrics accusing opponents of trying to 'rid you of your heritage' and videos depicting 'mass deportation' scenarios. The AI rapper's videos accumulated millions of views across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, while the campaign video was posted on Advance UK's official website as its flagship political content.
Reported impact
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Shout Out UK identified this as the first documented case of a registered UK political party paying for content from an AI influencer peddling extremist rhetoric. Immigrant communities were directly targeted by the AI's lyrics and imagery.
TikTok blocked the Node Project's account and Instagram removed several of the group's Danny Bones videos after the discovery. The Electoral Commission began considering the matter in line with its remit.
Index analysis
The incident demonstrates how generative AI enables fringe political actors to create 'astroturfed' movements appearing to have organic cultural support at low cost. The anonymity of the Node Project and lack of platform disclosure mechanisms allowed Advance UK to distance itself from extremist content while benefiting from its viral reach.
The case exemplifies what researchers describe as a 'dead internet' scenario where political discourse is flooded with low-quality, AI-generated propaganda designed to manipulate emotions rather than engage in factual debate.
Governance controls
Social media platforms initially failed to identify the content as synthetic and did not apply political advertising disclosures. Policymakers face pressure to update electoral laws requiring explicit labeling of AI-generated political avatars.
The Electoral Commission's consideration of the matter indicates potential gaps in existing UK electoral regulations regarding AI-generated political content and transparency requirements.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.