Thuringian Minister President Mario Voigt faces criticism over AI‑generated speeches

Thuringia’s Minister President Mario Voigt (CDU) is under scrutiny after the online portal “Frag den Staat” reported that several of his public texts – including a Holocaust‑memorial speech, a mourning address and a New‑Year’s message – were created with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence. Voigt, a vocal advocate of AI, told the Tagesspiegel that he encourages staff to use modern tools, saying “AI is already part of modern communication.”

Opposition parties, notably the Left, allege the government breached the digital ministry’s guidelines that require any AI‑generated content to be clearly labelled. The state chancellery responded that no general labelling duty exists and did not clarify whether the cited scientist quotes were fabricated or AI‑produced. Digital Minister Steffen Schütz said he uses AI only for research and would label any text he created with it.

The controversy adds pressure to Voigt, who is already facing plagiarism accusations after the Technical University of Chemnitz revoked his doctorate. Critics argue his handling of AI exemplifies reckless practice, while Voigt maintains that the technology merely supports his work.