AI-Generated Ads Rise in US Midterms Campaign, with BBC Verify Tracking Dozens of Them
AI-generated advertising is being used more than ever in the United States midterms campaign, researchers say. Ahead of the elections in November, BBC Verify has tracked dozens of AI ads to assess how campaigns are using them.
BBC Verify followed and identified dozens of such ads. The focus of its work was the role the ads are playing in the campaign and the kind of messages they are carrying to voters.
A large share of these ads is being funded by outside political groups. But it is not only outside groups — BBC Verify's tracking also found that in some key races, the ads have come directly from the candidates themselves.
Midterm elections carry enormous weight in US politics. Their outcome can shift the balance of power in Congress, which directly affects the president's policies and programme for the remainder of the term. Every campaign technique in every seat therefore takes on added importance.
AI technology now allows eye-catching ads to be produced very quickly and cheaply. With images, voices and video able to be artificially created or altered, campaign teams can produce and spread messages far faster than before. According to researchers, it is in these midterms that the trend has become clearest.
The trend is also raising concern. Artificially created scenes or voices can easily be mistaken for real ones, which risks misleading voters. For an ordinary voter, telling what is genuine and what has been made with AI is often difficult.
Verification teams like BBC Verify play an important role in this environment. Their work is to examine closely which ads were made with AI, who is funding them, and how they are trying to influence voters.
Ads funded by outside political groups are a long-standing feature of US election campaigning. But with AI now added as a campaign tool, analysts believe the very nature of the competition is changing.
Candidates' direct use of AI ads is also significant. Candidates once often kept their distance from controversial advertising. Now some are adopting AI techniques in their own campaigns, suggesting the technology is gaining acceptance in mainstream politics.
As the November vote draws closer, the number of AI ads may grow further. That makes vigilance and fact-checking ever more important for voters, news media and verification organisations alike.
All in all, this year's US midterms are becoming not just a contest between candidates but a major test of technology versus truth-checking. The rise of AI advertising could shape campaigning in every election to come.
