{
  "id": 9833491,
  "title": "AI ads are popular in the 2026 midterms, but state laws haven’t stopped a lack of disclosure",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/ai-ads-are-popular-in-the-2026-midterms-but-state-laws-havent-stopped",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-25T20:54:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/sci-tech/2026/09/25/ai-ads-are-popular-in-the-2026-midterms-but-state-laws-havent-stopped-a-lack-of-disclosure"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the 2026 midterms, AI-generated political advertisements are gaining popularity, but the lack of disclosure has raised concerns. A recent ad, featuring New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul, is an example of such an ad. Despite appearing to be a typical campaign advertisement, the video actually promotes Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate running against Hochul, the Democratic incumbent. The video employs AI-generated images of Mamdani and Hochul, but this fact is never mentioned in the ad. New York State has a law requiring disclosure of AI use in political communications, yet Blakeman's campaign did not comply with this requirement. The New York State Democratic Party has filed a complaint with the state's Board of Elections alleging a violation of this law. Campaign advertisements using AI to attack rival candidates are common during the 2026 midterms, but the laws governing these disclosures vary by state. A study by the Wesleyan Media Project identified at least 164 political ads generated or enhanced with AI during the current election cycle, with 69% of them not disclosing the use of AI tools. Only 29% of ads from states with regulations included a disclosure. Experts suggest that more effective regulation is needed to address this issue.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "AI political ads popular in 2026 midterms",
    "New York law requires AI disclosure, violated",
    "69% of AI ads lack disclosure"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}