Researchers tracked $80 million spent on AI-generated political ads for the midterms. Here’s what they found
The 2026 U.S. midterm campaigns are the first in which AI -generated political ads are regularly appearing on people’s televisions and social media feeds. We are researchers who have been studying political advertising through the Wesleyan Media Project since 2010. This election cycle—using data from media reports; student coders; and AdImpact, a firm that tracks political ad spending—we’ve…
The 2026 U.S. midterm elections witnessed the first significant use of AI-generated political ads, with an estimated $80 million spent on nearly 170 unique ads. Researchers from the Wesleyan Media Project found that AI usage varied from deepfakes to subtle enhancements. Republican sponsors—candidates and interest groups—were much more likely to employ AI than Democrats. Despite concerns about deepfakes potentially deceiving voters, many ads did not disclose AI usage due to inconsistent state legislation.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
