Study: Republicans Accounted for 83% of Spending on AI Political Ads in the 2026 U.S. Midterms

Researchers tracked nearly 170 AI-generated political ads worth about $80 million in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections and found that Republican candidates and groups accounted for 80% of the ads and 83% of the spending. Across 35 states, only 31% of the ads, representing 22% of the spending, disclosed the use of AI. Whether state laws required disclosure had little bearing on whether ads actually disclosed it.