Campaigns Deploy $80 Million in AI Political Ads for Midterms, Mostly Undisclosed

U.S. political campaigns have spent at least $80 million on AI-generated and AI-enhanced advertisements during the 2026 midterm cycle, with roughly 170 distinct ads produced using synthetic media tools, according to research from the Wesleyan Media Project. The tracking by the Connecticut-based research organization—which has analyzed political advertising since 2010—marks the first U.S. election in which AI-created content appears regularly across broadcast television and digital platforms, raising concerns about voter deception and regulatory compliance.