Family First CEO Jane Smith leaves, COO named interim chief

Family First Credit Union said Jane Smith is no longer employed by the Michigan institution and named Chief Operating Officer Jason Acosta interim chief executive, effective immediately. The credit union’s notice to members did not explain Smith’s departure or say whether she resigned or was dismissed, and it did not establish whether the controversy over an AI-edited image led to the change. Smith has said she created an image of family members in matching “Lake America” sweatshirts using artificial intelligence and posted it to her private Facebook page with an AI label. She told a local television station that her sister took a screenshot and shared it publicly without the label. The image appeared to show the family wearing clothing that Smith says they never actually owned or wore. Smith said the image was made during a family trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and that the group was joking about a U.S. order concerning the name of Lake Ontario. She said the family was not trying to make a political statement. The image circulated widely online and drew criticism, including from people in Canada.