The CEO of Saginaw, Michigan-based Family First Credit Union (Jane Smith) recently posted an AI-doctored image of her and her family wearing Lake America sweatshirts while on a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia. While her original post was private, Smith’s sister posted the image in public and with the current political climate, of course it turned into a media firestorm.
In a statement to ABC12 News, Smith claimed that the AI-doctored image was a poor-judgment attempt at humour. Board members of Family First Credit Union also made a statement to ABC12 News in which they said that the image was unacceptable and that they would be reviewing the next appropriate steps.
That is an odd choice of image to post while in Halifax. And frankly, I think that the CEO of a financial institution should know that what she chooses to post in a personal capacity will reflect upon her institution. While perhaps certain kinds of businesses could get away with such a thing… and some could reasonably turn it into a publicity stunt, I don’t think this is a good look for the Chief Executive Officer of a Credit Union.