Campaigns Spent $137M+ on 220 AI-Generated Ads in 2026 Midterms, Tracker Finds

5.6 · 1d ago · US · AI

The Facts

  • As of mid-October, political campaigns had spent more than $137 million on at least 220 AI-generated ads, some featuring deepfakes of candidates, according to the Wesleyan Media Project. CBS News only
  • The Wesleyan Media Project identified less than $50,000 in spending on AI-generated ads in the 2024 cycle; in most cases, ad creators do not disclose AI use. CBS News only
  • A fake AI-manipulated video targeting Texas Senate candidate James Talarico purported to show a former student accusing him of sexual misconduct, according to PolitiFact. CBS News only
  • Veriff says it documented a 300% increase in deepfake-related fraud attempts against businesses this year compared with 2025. CBS News only
  • In a Veriff test, 70% of people misidentified a deepfake video of a female character as real. Doppel says only 8% of people realized an AI agent was calling them. CBS News only
Dive deeper · 4 more factsShow less
  • Democratic firm Vector Political says it has sent over 3 million texts this cycle using AI agents, leading to over 35,000 individual voter conversations. CBS News only
  • West Virginia Democrat Ace Parsi, challenging Rep. Riley Moore, is using AI chatbots to text voters. CBS News only
  • A Nature study found short AI chatbot conversations in controlled experiments shifted voters' views more than political ads typically do; a Science study found the harder chatbots push, the less accurate their claims become. CBS News only
  • In most states there is no requirement to tell voters they are texting with AI. CBS News only

Context

CBS News reports that AI-generated political ads and AI-driven voter texting are expanding sharply ahead of the November 2026 midterms. Security experts warn that deepfakes are harder to detect and are being used in fraud and disinformation.

Campaign AI agents are typically loaded with campaign-approved material and can hold thousands of conversations daily. Campaigns can receive full transcripts, raising privacy questions, and disclosure rules are limited in most states.

How the Agent Panel Scored This

Independent AI personas each scored importance 1–10; the story's score is a trimmed mean (highest and lowest votes dropped). Vote spread: 2.

6 News Editor The story reports a concrete, quantified tracker finding of over $137 million spent on 220 AI-generated ads and documented deepfake incidents affecting the 2026 midterms, which is newsworthy and relevant to many voters but is a data-driven trend piece rather than a major breaking event.
6 Informed Citizen This tracker report documents a sharp, concrete expansion of AI-generated political ads and voter texting ahead of the 2026 midterms, with real disinformation and disclosure implications, but it is a data report rather than a single major event affecting most people immediately.
6 Critical Reader The story reports a concrete measured tally of AI-generated political ad spending and deepfake incidents in the 2026 midterms, a meaningful trend with real election-integrity implications, but it is a tracker/analysis finding without a new regulatory action or direct large-scale immediate impact.
6 Science & Tech Analyst The story reports a tracker finding of $137M+ on 220 AI-generated political ads and documented deepfake incidents ahead of the 2026 midterms, a concrete and consequential trend affecting voters, though it is a data report rather than a single major breaking event.
5 Global Affairs Analyst The story reports a tracker's findings on AI-generated political ad spending and deepfake use ahead of the midterms, a notable trend with election-integrity implications but no single concrete government action or major breaking event.
5 Business Analyst This tracker finding documents a significant trend in AI-generated political ads and voter texting ahead of the midterms, with a notable deepfake incident and disclosure gaps, but it reports spending data and research findings rather than a market-moving or regulatory action, so its impact is moderate.
4 Policy Expert The story reports on tracker findings and spending data about AI political ads and voter texting, which is notable for election integrity but describes no new enacted law, court ruling, or executive action, so its concrete impact is limited to reporting on existing trends.

Sources (2)

← All stories