CEO of Family First Credit Union Resigns Following Controversial AI-Generated Image

<p>Jane Smith, the former CEO of Family First Credit Union in Saginaw, Michigan, is no longer employed by the company following an AI-generated family photograph that joked about President Donald Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario. The image went viral and led to significant online backlash.</p><p>Smith was preparing for a 10-day family trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, when her family took a photograph at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Using ChatGPT, Smith altered the image to show her family wearing matching sweatshirts with the words “Lake America,” the name Trump directed the federal government to use for Lake Ontario.</p><p>The image was shared on Facebook with the caption, “Like our sweatshirts? Not sure Canada will. Lol lol.” However, the family never actually wore the sweatshirts. Smith stated that the photograph was intended as a joke rather than a political statement. She explained that the image was initially posted privately with a note indicating it was AI-generated before her sister reposted it publicly without the AI label.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Michigan CEO out of job after posting AI photo of ‘Lake America’ sweatshirts <a href="https://t.co/VSYdyN25RT">https://t.co/VSYdyN25RT</a> <a href="https://t.co/xbm3gEYkwT">pic.twitter.com/xbm3gEYkwT</a></p><p>— Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) <a href="https://x.com/TheTorontoSun/status/2103584095821336810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2026</a></p></blockquote><p>The photograph did not receive a positive response in Canada, where critics accused Smith of disrespecting Canadians, particularly as her family was traveling to Halifax, a city known for welcoming thousands of stranded airline passengers after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.</p><p>Smith later apologized and deleted the post, stating, “I made a mistake. I own that mistake, and I am committed to learning from it.” She acknowledged that the image could be seen as offensive, saying, “I am not a person that would ever want to offend or hurt anybody.”</p><p>Family First Credit Union announced that Smith was no longer employed by the organization, effective immediately. Chief Operations Officer Jason Acosta was appointed as interim CEO. The board did not specify whether Smith resigned or was terminated, citing state law restrictions on discussing the circumstances of her departure. The board had previously expressed its disapproval of the social media post.</p><p>The credit union issued an apology for the concern and disappointment caused by the incident. “We sincerely apologize for the concern, disappointment and pain this situation has caused our members and community,” they stated on Facebook.</p><p>This incident highlights the intersection of national political disputes and institutions that were once considered separate from politics. Trump’s order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America was a political gesture, and Canada’s government rejected the name, further straining U.S.-Canada relations.</p><p>Smith’s family reportedly cut their trip to Halifax short due to receiving death threats. The photograph was deleted, Smith issued an apology, and she is now out of a job.</p><p>The controversy arose from a sweatshirt that never existed, bearing a name for a lake that, according to the federal government, does.</p>