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Millions of dollars have been spent on AI during this year’s midterm election campaign, oftentimes through candidates using the technology to depict their opponents in fictional situations, portraying them in negative ways to unsuspecting voters.

According to research from Wesleyan University, over 200 ads have used AI in this election cycle. The ads have totaled more than $137 million in campaign spending.

More than 80 percent of the ads have been produced by Republican candidates or political action committees (PACs) aligned with the GOP. One such ad, featuring Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul (who is running for re-election in New York), features her walking alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The governor reminds Mamdani, “don’t say affordable” while the two refer to how they plan to govern the state moving forward.

No such statement from Hochul exists, and the video of them walking next to each other in such a way is entirely fictional. The ad doesn’t contain any disclaimer informing viewers that it’s generated by AI.

“It’s the year of the AI election,” Fred N. Davis III, founder of Strategic Perception, an advertising firm based in Hollywood, said to The New York Times. “It’s top of mind for everybody in my business and pretty much everybody in the political business.”

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