Political Advertisers Have Spent At Least $137 Million on AI-Generated Ads

Campaigns and political groups have deployed more than $137 million on AI-generated ads this cycle, an eye-popping sum that highlights the rapid adoption of technology into the country’s political milieu. 

A new analysis from the Wesleyan Media Project  tallied 220 political ads that were generated, at least in part, by AI tools. That number, the analysis notes, is almost certainly an undercount, given that AI use isn’t always easily detectable and, in many cases, isn’t disclosed. Only 30 states require some sort of disclaimer when AI content is used in political ads.

The $137 million figure is a new high-water mark for AI-generated ad spending. During the 2024 cycle, the Wesleyan Media Project identified less than $50,000 in spending on such ads. 

But since then, AI tools have become more abundant, more user-friendly and more precise, and campaigns, political groups, ad-makers and consultants have taken concerted steps to adopt the technology into their workflows. A survey released earlier this year by the American Association of Political Consultants found that 83 percent of political professionals use AI tools for work at least once a week – up from 59 percent the previous year. Nearly half of those surveyed said they use AI tools multiple times a day.

That survey also revealed a partisan divide among political professionals, with more Republicans reporting daily AI use than Democrats. That divide also bears out in the Wesleyan Media Project’s analysis. Of the 220 AI-generated political ads counted by researchers, 81 percent came from Republican advertisers, while just 12 percent were paid for by Democrats. 

The remaining ads came from independent candidates or from groups advertising on ostensibly non-partisan issues. 

All told, AI-generated political ads have run across 34 states, the analysis found. Yet few of those spots are labeled as AI-generated; just 27 percent contain a disclaimer disclosing AI use. 

Recent improvements in AI technology have made the tools an enticing option for political campaigns, groups and ad-makers, who frequently work under tight deadlines dictated by election calendars. In recent years, political professionals have turned to AI tools for help drafting and refining ad scripts, cutting voiceovers, analyzing data and writing fundraising emails, among other tasks.

But some of that AI use has become controversial, especially when campaigns and groups have used it to create deepfakes and other potentially misleading content. 

A survey released last week by the AAPC Foundation found that 95 percent of likely 2026 voters said that it’s unacceptable for campaigns to use AI to create a video of an opponent saying something they never actually said. At the same time, 84 percent said that it’s unacceptable for a campaign to use AI to generate a voice that sounds like its own candidate.

“The message we really saw coming out of this was: Don’t use AI to deceive me or dupe me or other people,” Julie Sweet, the AAPC’s director of advocacy and industry relations, said. “Even people who are heavy users don’t want this stuff to be used for deceptive purposes, which might point us in a certain direction.”