The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Elections and Debates in North Carolina

The integration of artificial intelligence into election processes has heightened concerns in North Carolina surrounding data centers and AI-generated campaign advertisements. Two-thirds of Americans are concerned about the use of AI in midterm elections.

Artificial intelligence has come to the forefront this campaign season due to concerns that data centers in neighborhoods could influence voters and the confusion surrounding content in campaign advertisements. According to research, two-thirds of Americans are very or somewhat concerned about the use of AI in this year's midterm elections.

Last year, bipartisan state lawmakers in North Carolina supported House Bill 375, which would have required the disclosure of whether advertisements were created using artificial intelligence, but the bill failed to pass out of committee. The release of an AI-generated ad by State Senate Majority Leader Michael Lee, which depicted his opponent Jessica Bichler in strange yoga poses, fueled debates over whether fake content could be used in attack ads.

While 31 states across the U.S. have enacted some form of regulation regarding the use of AI in political campaigns, North Carolina does not yet have such legislation despite several attempts.