Candice Norwood
Reporter
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Content warning: This article describes a simulation of violence against a public official.
Two years have passed, but Judge Jennifer Johnson cannot erase the death threat from her mind. The violent, 3-minute video appeared on TikTok in September 2023 — a frightening example of how the expansion of AI technology has led to growing threats against women in public office.
Johnson, who oversees cases in Dixie County, Florida, spoke publicly about the threat for the first time last week, showing a 40-second clip during a forum that gathered women state judges to discuss security concerns. The video imitates the style of the popular game Grand Theft Auto, which has been widely criticized for more than two decade