Michigan Credit Union CEO Out After AI-Generated "Lake America" Sweatshirt Post

The CEO of Family First, a Michigan credit union, has departed the company following the public release of an AI-generated image depicting her family in "Lake America" sweatshirts. The image was shared during a trip to Canada and subsequently led to criticism and the executive's ouster.

In a statement posted to Facebook, Family First apologized for the "concern, disappointment and pain this situation has caused our members and community." The credit union affirmed its responsibility to act in the best interest of the organization and maintain member trust.

The incident occurred on September 11, when the CEO, Jane Smith, shared a photo of herself and her family. She used ChatGPT to digitally alter the image, making it appear as though they were wearing "Lake America" sweatshirts. At the time of the post, Smith and her family were on a 10-day trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Smith's original Facebook caption reportedly read, "Like our sweatshirts? Not sure Canada will. Lol lol," according to ABC12 News. The post has since been deleted.

The controversy arose approximately two weeks after President Trump issued an executive order renaming the U.S. portion of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amid escalating trade tensions with Canada. While Canadian officials and some U.S. lawmakers criticized the rebranding, several companies, including Apple and Google, adopted the new designation.

The "Lake America" sweatshirt image generated significant backlash online, with one Reddit user expressing strong disapproval. Smith stated that she and her family received death threats, prompting them to cut their trip short. She also indicated she would cease using AI tools.

Speaking to ABC12 News, Smith said the intention was not to make a political statement but to "poke fun at the fact that one of the Great Lakes’ names were getting changed." She clarified that the AI-altered image was initially posted to her private Facebook account. Her sister, who was also on vacation, reportedly reposted the image publicly without disclosing its AI origin.

Smith expressed regret for any offense caused, stating, "I am not a person that would ever want to offend or hurt anybody. I do regret having any post that would make someone feel like we don't value them as human beings."

Family First, headquartered in Saginaw, Michigan, issued an earlier statement to ABC12 News unequivocally disapproving of the social media post involving its CEO. Smith is no longer employed by the credit union, and Jason Acosta has been appointed interim CEO.