Political campaigns and groups in the United States have spent more than $137 million on advertisements created at least partly using artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, but only 27% of the identified ads carried disclaimers disclosing the use of AI, according to a new study.
The findings, reported first by Gizmodo, are based on data from the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks political advertising in the US.
Researchers identified 220 AI-generated political ads across 34 states this year. The actual number is likely higher, as identifying AI-generated content can be difficult and only 30 states require disclosures for AI-generated political advertisements.
The scale of spending marks a sharp increase from the 2024 election cycle, when the researchers identified less than $50,000 in spending on AI-generated political ads.
“AI is making its way into the 2026 midterms in a big way this year,” Erika Franklin Fowler, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, said in a news release. She added that much of the use of AI was not disclosed through disclaimers.
Partisan divide
Republican candidates and groups accounted for 81% of the identified ads and 88% of the spending. Democratic candidates and groups sponsored 12% of the ads, reflecting a significant partisan gap in the use of the technology.
One possible explanation is that Democratic candidates face greater reputational risks from using AI-generated content while advocating stronger regulation of the technology. Travis N. Ridout, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, told The New York Times that Democratic candidates and groups could face greater reputational risks because they are arguing that AI should be regulated.
Some Democratic candidates have also made their opposition to AI-generated political advertising part of their campaigns. James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas, ends one advertisement with the message: “Made by humans. Not AI.”
Disclosure remains limited
The study also found that nearly half of the identified AI-generated ads featured deepfake depictions of real politicians. Some attempted to associate candidates in local races with prominent national Democratic figures, including Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor of New York, has reportedly posted at least 22 AI-generated advertisements on social media since April. In August, the New York State Democratic Party filed a complaint with the state’s Board of Elections, alleging that his campaign had violated a law requiring disclosures on political advertisements containing deceptive AI-generated content.
Blakeman’s campaign disputed the allegation, arguing that satirical advertisements did not require such disclosures.
However, not all AI-generated political advertisements use deepfakes or seek to mislead voters. Campaigns are also using AI to generate stock footage and reduce production costs.
With the November midterm elections approaching, the findings highlight the growing role of AI in political advertising and the limited disclosure of its use, raising questions about transparency and how voters distinguish between authentic footage and synthetic content.
