Confused by AI? These Political Pros Have Some Advice

Political consultants are under growing pressure to embrace artificial intelligence tools at a time when the fast-moving technology is working its way into more and more facets of Americans’ professional and personal lives. 

But using the tech – let alone understanding how it works – isn’t necessarily a straightforward undertaking, leaving some consultants and campaign staffers feeling as if they’re falling behind in the age of AI.

“If you’re worried that you’re behind the curve, you’re not,” Eric Wilson, the executive director of the Republican-aligned Center for Campaign Innovation, said. “It’s not too late to get started.”

While there’s a growing number of AI tools hitting the market, practitioners recommend starting simple: Pick an easily accessible platform, like ChatGPT or Gemini, and experiment with ways to regularly integrate it into your workflows. 

“Ask questions, summarize a document, analyze polling or reports – this will give you a feel for both their capabilities and limitations,” Maya Hutchinson, the founder and CEO of BattlegroundAI, said. “They all have free training and resources too. Upload your own data as well – these models get better the more they know and the more you use it.  It’s the easiest way to understand what’s possible.” 

To be sure, there are still limitations to what’s possible with AI – at least for now. Jonathan Barnes, the CEO of Democratic digital firm Authentic, said that “the real value” of AI “is going to come in the customization of the tools” to fit into current workflows. In other words, don’t expect perfection from an off-the-shelf product.

With that said, here’s a look at a few tools political pros can use to get started with AI:

ChatGPT

OpenAI’s generative AI chatbot might be the most obvious starting point, and that’s for a reason. Aside from its widespread name recognition and ease of use, practitioners said that it’s particularly customizable. 

Users can ask ChatGPTP to do basic tasks, like summarizing documents or answering questions. But Barnes also recommends “building out custom GPTs” – chatbots that can be used for specific purposes like creating social media content or acting as a brainstorming companion to bounce ideas off of.

Barnes also encourages users to try ChatGPT’s built-in agent capability, which allows the platform to do complex tasks like browsing and interacting with websites. Playing around with that feature can help users “get a sense of just how powerful these tools will get,” he said.

“I used it to design and help me source items for redecorating a room of my house,” Barnes said.

Gemini

If you’re using Google Workspace, there’s a good chance you’re already using Gemini in some way, shape or form.

Practitioners said that Google’s AI assistant is a great way to begin experimenting with AI’s capabilities. You can use it to draft emails, refine copy in Google Docs or get answers to questions via Google Search, making it one of the easiest and most accessible tools for familiarizing yourself with AI. 

There’s also Google’s NotebookLM, which can easily be used to do things like take meeting notes, summarize documents and even convert complex material into different formats, like audio overviews and briefings.

Chorus AI

Chorus AI is an all-around communications tool built specifically for campaigns, nonprofits and foundations that can do everything from monitoring social media and analyzing research to drafting content like fundraising emails and grant proposals.

Unlike other platforms like Gemini and ChatGPT, using Chorus AI isn’t as simple as pulling up an online chatbot. But it comes with a more specific suite of tools that can be particularly useful in the campaign and nonprofit space. 

“Think of Chorus as a campaign co-pilot that moves concepts from ideas to action quickly,” said Betsy Hoover, the founder and managing partner of the Democratic-aligned venture fund Higher Ground Labs, which is among Chorus AI’s funders. “Consultants can use this platform to manage the many moving pieces of all of their clients in one place.” 

Claude

Anthropic’s Claude chatbot is similar to ChatGPT, but with a heavier emphasis on tasks like text editing, summarization and code-writing. The platform also adheres to a stricter set of ethical standards intended to help avoid behaviors like AI bias. 

Similar to ChatGPT, practitioners recommend experimenting with Claude for tasks like summarizing long documents, proofreading content and answering questions. 

Quiller

Quiller is another tool built for the campaign and nonprofit space, and has already found widespread use among Democratic and progressive campaigns and causes. Simply put, it’s an AI co-pilot that can help draft fundraising and volunteer-engagement emails and content.

“With regular input from content strategists, Quiller allows each writer to produce a higher volume of emails in a shorter amount of time, freeing up strategists to do the creative, authentic work they are most qualified to do,” Hoover said.