Wait, Seth MacFarlane Thought AI-Deep-Fake Bill Clinton Didn’t Look Terrifying?

The second season of Ted, the prequel to the popular Seth MacFarlane and Mark Wahlberg movies, is now available on Peacock. One episode features a surprising cameo: a digitally recreated Bill Clinton, appearing as he did before becoming vegan and testifying in the Epstein case. The cameo uses AI to bring a ghostly version of Clinton to life, with Seth MacFarlane providing the voice and doing his long-standing impression. MacFarlane explained to the Associated Press that creating an AI deepfake was the only way to realistically portray Clinton. They initially tried prosthetics and CGI, but nothing looked convincing. “It worked,” MacFarlane said. “It was the only way to make it look like Bill Clinton.” He sees this as a positive example of how AI can enhance creativity rather than hinder it.

We have two main concerns: First, why does the actor playing Bill Clinton need to look exactly like the original governor? The scene centers on another character’s reaction, so couldn’t we mostly show their face and obscure Clinton’s? Second, is the AI-created Bill Clinton actually unsettling to watch? The show has consistently felt realistic and grounded in the early 90s, and a highly accurate Clinton might fit that style. However, it could also disrupt the otherwise carefully constructed sense of reality the show has built.

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2026-03-07 01:53