The Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE) of Mexico sparked controversy after using artificial intelligence (AI) to create a voice in a TikTok video that closely resembled that of the late José 'Pepe' Lavat, a renowned Mexican voice actor who passed away in 2018. The video, related to judicial elections, was produced without permission from Lavat's family or the voice acting community. INE initially responded dismissively to complaints, stating the voice was entirely synthesized via AI and did not use any registered voice files of Lavat, and that the audio was generated using a model called 'Fake You' with a pre-existing audio clip from TikTok. The institute cited budget cuts as a reason for using AI-generated voices. This action prompted protests from voice actors, locutors, and creative industry workers in Mexico City, who demanded legal protections and regulation to prevent unauthorized cloning and commercial use of their voices. The protests included a demonstration at the Monument to the Revolution and calls for legislation to safeguard voice actors' rights and identity. In response, Mexico City’s mayor Claudia Sheinbaum expressed support for the voice actors, announcing government plans to hold meetings with the Secretariat of Culture and the Legal Counsel to explore protective measures. Following the backlash, INE agreed to remove the controversial TikTok video and committed to establishing training programs on the responsible and ethical use of AI. The incident has intensified the debate over AI's ethical use in media and the protection of public figures' image and voice rights in Mexico.