AI ads become normal in 2026 midterms

AI ads spike in 2026 midterms

About three hundred political ads were generated or enhanced by AI in the two thousand twenty-six midterm election, according to the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks political advertising.

Spending on AI ads jumps dramatically

Groups behind those AI ads spent about one hundred eighty-seven million dollars promoting them online and on TV, more than three thousand times the approximate fifty thousand dollars spent during the two thousand twenty-four election…

AI ads remain a small slice

The one hundred eighty-seven million dollars in AI ad spending is still a fraction of overall political ad spending, which AdImpact projected at about eleven point six billion dollars in twenty twenty-five and twenty twenty-six.

Republicans led AI ad spending

About ninety percent of the AI ads tracked by the Wesleyan Media Project came from Republican candidates or groups supporting them.

Campaigns fear voter backlash

Campaigns avoided going all-in with AI ads because of an AI learning curve and reputational risk. Travis Ridout, Wesleyan Media Project co-director, said you do not want a voter backlash.

“You don't want a voter backlash.”

Voters reject AI-generated content

A twenty twenty-five Pew Research Center study found that seventy-one percent of Americans said they would like a candidate less if they knew the candidate used AI to help write a speech they had otherwise…

Some AI ads fabricated information

Some campaign ads included deepfakes, fabricated videos appearing to show people saying or doing things they did not.Others used AI to enhance real incidents, such as adding more people to a video of a crowd.

AI influence harder to measure

It is difficult to gauge how much influence AI ads had on voters inundated with many other messages on different platforms.

“AI content isn't necessarily persuading audiences.”