AI-Powered Campaign Ads Increase in US Elections
According to a Wesleyan Media Project report, AI-generated ads are rapidly spreading ahead of the midterm elections in the US, while the vast majority of them lack disclosures.
A new report by the Connecticut-based Wesleyan Media Project revealed that AI-supported advertisements in political campaigns across the US have shown a significant increase as of early September.
Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Midterm Elections
The Wesleyan Media Project is a non-partisan research project based in Connecticut that has tracked and analyzed political ads for 16 years. Researchers stated that they have observed a marked increase in the use of artificial intelligence since the beginning of the year.
Millions of Dollars in Spending
Erika Franklin Fowler, co-director of the project and professor of government at Wesleyan University, noted that the use of AI has been encountered in races across the country from both parties. The project identified approximately 170 AI-generated political ads by early September and noted that there is at least $80 million in spending behind these ads.
Ad Types and Deepfake Usage
While some ads include humorous depictions intended to mock candidates, other examples use hyper-realistic AI-generated deepfake versions of candidates as attack ads or to present them more advantageously. The initial report in May had identified only 33 ads and determined approximately $20 million in spending.
Lack of Regulation
Fowler emphasized that due to the absence of mandatory federal-level laws, approximately 70 percent of the ads and 78 percent of the spending lacked a disclosure indicating the use of AI, meaning the current figures are an undercount.
Differences at the State Level
While some states like New York enacted legislation in 2025 requiring disclosures or banning deepfakes, in the state of Connecticut, although bills were introduced in this direction, no restrictions were imposed on election-related deepfakes.
Future Policy Discussions
Erika Franklin Fowler believes that, given the state-level moves and public opinion, policy debates regarding potential AI regulations in advertising will continue in the period ahead.