Wesleyan Media Project: AI flooded US midterm ads

Ahead of the United States midterm elections on November 3, artificial intelligence has flooded political advertising with millions of dollars in spending and a sharp rise in manipulated media, according to data tracked by the Wesleyan Media Project.

While campaign spending on AI-generated ads totaled just 50,000 dollars in 2024, researchers have identified 220 distinct spots for the current midterms backed by more than 137 million dollars. The Wesleyan Media Project found that groups or candidates aligned with Donald Trump’s Republicans accounted for 81 percent of those ads, while Democrats funded 12 percent.

Millions Spent on Manipulated Political Ads

Researchers and observers have labeled the surge in synthetic political content slopaganda, combining the terms slop and propaganda. Among the tracked spots is an advertisement targeting Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, which depicts the Muslim candidate playing cards that read Morte all’America and Celebriamo l’11 settembre, according to reported data. The video is linked to an organization close to Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia also called for the removal of an altered advertisement from the Senate Leadership Fund, a group close to Republicans, which depicts him inside a beauty salon. E’ una china scivolosa che porta alla distruzione della verità nel dibattito politico, Ossoff told the C-Span network.

Federal Disclosure Rules Remain Absent

Federal regulations do not require campaigns or political action committees to disclose when they use artificial intelligence in advertisements. Only 27 percent of the 220 AI-assisted ads identified by the Wesleyan Media Project contained any disclosure of the technology. Erika Franklin Fowler, co-director of the project, described that low disclosure rate as a problematic trend.

A poll conducted for the AAPC Foundation showed that 73 percent of Americans consider the use of artificial intelligence to create political images or videos unacceptable.

Voter Mobilization Versus Ballot Choice

A New York University report suggests that the primary effect of synthetic campaign propaganda is mobilization rather than persuasion. The study indicates that such material is likely more effective at rallying supporters or driving fundraising than at changing a voter’s choice of candidate.

Meanwhile, polling and early voting turnout indicate a challenging environment for Republicans, who risk losing control of the Senate. With the House of Representatives projected to favor Democrats, the deciding battles are concentrated in eight key states, where Real Clear Politics polls show Democrats leading in six—Alaska, Texas, Ohio, Maine, Michigan, and Minnesota—leaving them close to securing the 51 seats needed for a Senate majority.