Political Ads Made With AI Top $137 Million Before U.S. Midterms; Only 27% Had Disclaimers
Political campaigns and groups have spent more than $137 million on ads created at least partly with AI tools ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, according to new data from the Wesleyan Media Project (WMP). The figure marks a sharp rise from the less than $50,000 the researchers identified in the 2024 election cycle.
“AI is making its way into the 2026 midterms in a big way this year,” said Erika Franklin Fowler, the project’s co-director, adding that much of the AI use is not disclosed through disclaimers. WMP identified 220 AI-generated ads across 34 states, but said the actual number is likely higher because only 30 states require disclosure and it is often difficult to determine whether AI was used. Only 27% of the identified ads included a disclaimer.
Republican candidates and groups accounted for 81% of the AI-generated ads and 88% of the spending, while Democrats sponsored 12% of the ads. Co-director Travis N. Ridout said Democrats may face more reputational risk using a tool they have argued should be regulated. Some Democratic candidates have leaned into the issue; Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s ad ends with the line “Made by humans. Not AI.”
Nearly half of the AI-generated ads found by researchers contain deepfake depictions of real politicians, many linking local candidates to prominent national Democrats such as Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for New York governor, has posted at least 22 AI-generated ads since April; the state Democratic Party filed a complaint in August alleging his campaign failed to comply with disclosure rules. Blakeman’s campaign has said satirical ads do not require disclosure.
WMP noted that not all AI-generated ads involve deceptive deepfakes, with some campaigns using AI to produce stock footage and cut production costs. With Election Day just over two weeks away, more AI-generated political ads are likely to appear on TV and social media.
