‘South Park’ season 28 tackles AI videos, Trump, and JD Vance in latest episode

South Park returned to its regular schedule on Wednesday night after a Halloween special, with the third episode of Season 28 blending political satire, AI mishaps, and absurd humor.

In the episode, Butters experiments with OpenAI’s generative video platform Sora 2, creating provocative AI-generated clips that quickly escalate into a schoolwide scandal.

When Butters shows a video featuring Santa Claus inappropriately targeting classmate Red, she retaliates by generating her own AI video, depicting Butters with Studio Ghibli’s Totoro.

The videos prompt an investigation by Detective Harris of the Park County Police Department, who fears that fictional icons may be harming the town’s children.

Meanwhile, JD Vance navigates a precarious relationship with Donald Trump at the White House. Vance smooth-talks his way out of punishment for treason, and the episode features a satirical portrayal of a close personal encounter between the two characters.

The episode also highlights ongoing concerns around AI-generated content. OpenAI’s Sora 2 platform allows users to create videos using copyrighted characters, operating on an opt-out system where rights holders can request their IP to be restricted. However, copyright law still allows for statutory damages in cases of infringement.

This season of “South Park” has continued to focus heavily on Trump and his interactions with Satan, while traditional main characters like Butters and other elementary students occupy supporting roles.

Co-creator Trey Parker explained in a recent interview that the show’s focus on political figures is a reflection of how politics has become intertwined with pop culture, rather than a direct political agenda.