Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Mayor Mamdani's Multilingual Broadway Ticket Videos Spark AI Speculation
The mayor of New York City made some fun videos for high school students.
In one video, he said 'hello' in a language called Bengali.
In another video, he spoke a language called Mandarin.
He made the videos to tell students about free Broadway show tickets.
Broadway is a famous place in New York where people watch plays and musicals.
More than 2,000 free tickets are being given away in a lottery.
Students can win up to two tickets for one of seven shows.
Some people on the internet thought a computer made the videos with AI.
The mayor's helper said, 'This is NOT AI.'
The mayor actually learned Mandarin when he was in high school, and his videos help more kids enjoy Broadway shows.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed high school students in Bengali in a video promoting free Broadway tickets.
He also released a 41-second Mandarin-speaking video, prompting some viewers to suspect AI-generated speech.
The mayor's spokesperson, Joe Calvello, said on X that the videos are 'NOT AI.'
The initiative offers more than 2,000 free Broadway tickets through a lottery for NYC high school students.
Mamdani learned Mandarin while attending the Bronx High School of Science.
- Who
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his spokesperson Joe Calvello, addressing NYC high school students.
- What
- Mamdani promoted a free Broadway ticket lottery in Bengali and Mandarin videos; his office denied claims that the videos were AI-generated.
- When
- Recently; the AI denial was posted on X on a Sunday.
- Where
- New York City.
- Why
- To make Broadway more accessible to young New Yorkers and connect with the city's diverse communities.
Social media skeptics
Mayor's office
Were the multilingual videos AI-generated?
Social media skeptics
Some viewers questioned whether AI was used to generate or manipulate Mamdani's speech, especially in the Mandarin clip.
Mayor's office
Press secretary Joe Calvello stated clearly on X: 'this is NOT AI,' and noted that Mamdani studied Mandarin in high school.
- Free tickets
- More than 2,000 Broadway tickets
- Eligibility
- New York City high school students
- How it works
- Lottery; up to two tickets for one of seven participating productions
- Languages used
- Bengali and Mandarin
- AI speculation
- Denied by spokesperson Joe Calvello; 'this is NOT AI'
- TDF membership
- Two months free for lottery entrants
- Personal detail
- Mamdani studied Mandarin at the Bronx High School of Science