SINN Féin councillor Ryan Murphy poked fun at councillor Ron McDowell during last night's Belfast City Council meeting, after the TUV man's AI-generated image of a crowd at a loyalist rally in Portadown this week.
Councillor McDowell shared the image on social media, purporting to be from Portadown on Tuesday night, as he lauded the efforts of Jamie Bryson and DUP MP Carla Lockhart in support of the local Orange District who have been prevented from marching on to the nationalist Garvaghy Road.
The image appeared to show Ms Lockhart addressing a vast crowd at a car-park despite only around 200 people actually being in attendance.
After the Council's Draft AI strategy was raised, Councillor Murphy said: "Councillor McDowell is dabbling with the use of AI. I was hoping he would be in the chamber tonight but who knows, we might get an image later of him sitting over there (the opposite benches)."
Cllr Murphy then held aloft three images from the rally in question, and asked which one was the real photo?
"We can see the embarrassment around the low number of people that support them (the Orange Order) that they are having to take to AI to swell the ranks," he added.
Appearing remotely, TUV councillor Ron McDowell said he was happy to "own" the mistake.
"It doesn't take an old man with a misunderstanding of AI to come and speak about this now," he explained.
"Don't take the actions of this old eejit to detract what has been an incredibly well-supported campaign around Drumcree. The 500 people that were there on Tuesday doesn't include those on the hill or those in attendance at the rally on Wednesday night or the vast support from unionism across the province for the plight of the Orangemen on the hill.
"What price do we put on human rights? We have had our rights denied for 28 years. It is suppression of the rights of the local Orangemen.
"I own the wee bit of damage I done to the cause but the cause is right and just and I am happy to stand with them."
Sinn Féin Cllr Caoimhín McCann then joked: "Can we confirm that is not an AI-generated video of Ron and he was actually delivering that himself?"
Despite Lord Mayor Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly reminding members that this was about the Council's AI strategy, DUP Alderman Dean McCullough responded with a robust tirade towards Sinn Féin members and their "lawbreaking" on the Garvaghy Road.
He continued: "Do you know what wasn't AI? The bombing on the Shankill Road when people were digging their loved ones out of rubble and other IRA bombs.
"Do you know what wasn't AI too? Sinn Féin members carrying the coffins of the bombers and glorifying the terrorists."
Lord Mayor Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly again urged councillors to "not shout" across the chamber at each other and reminded them to discuss the minute and not anything else.
People Before Profit Councillor Michael Collins hit out at Councillor McDowell for "promoting his own political agenda" with the image which set a "really dangerous precedent".
"It shows the dangers of AI when elected members are using it dangerously to try and pull the wool over people's eyes."
