In what appears at first to be a typical campaign advertisement, two people introduce themselves as Zohran Mamdani and Kathy Hochul while strolling through a park on a beautiful sunny day.
asserted
people → appear → day
But as the 43-second video continues, Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, and Hochul, the governor of New York State, have a conversation that paints them in a negative light.
asserted
that → continue → light
At one point Hochul is described in a voiceover as “the political delusion pill for New Yorkers who would rather think about what four more years could actually cost them.
uncertain
years → describe → them
That’s because the video is actually a campaign ad for Bruce Blakeman, the Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for New York governor who is running against Hochul, the Democratic incumbent.
asserted
who → ’ → Hochul
The images of Mamdani and Hochul were generated using artificial intelligence.
asserted
images → generate → intelligence
Blakeman’s connection to the video is disclosed in small text reading “paid for by Blakeman for New York” that appears throughout.
asserted
that → disclose → York
Its use of AI is never mentioned, despite a New York law requiring such disclosures in political communications.
asserted
use → mention → communications
The New York State Democratic Party filed a complaint in August with the state’s Board of Elections about Blakeman’s use of AI in his ads, alleging that he has broken this new law.
asserted
he → file → law
Blakeman’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
asserted
campaign → respond → comment
Campaign advertisements that use AI to attack rival candidates are not uncommon in the 2026 midterms, some more obviously fake than others.
asserted
some → use → others
A patchwork of state laws has emerged around how transparent candidates must be about this practice, but data shows candidates at times disregarding those laws.
asserted
candidates → emerge → laws
Experts say that although it is too soon to assess the impact such AI-generated ads will have on voters, with or without labels, more effective regulation is imperative.
asserted
regulation → say → labels
“I’m generally not opposed to the sort of labels that exist, on narrowly targeted and materially deceptive content,” said Scott Babwah Brennen, the director of New York University’s Center on Technology Policy and a policy research affiliate at its Center for Social Media, AI, and Politics.
asserted
Brennen → oppose → Media
He added, however, that because misinformation is the result of the existing media environment, it’s important to address the problem as a whole, not just on a case-by-case basis.
asserted
it → add → basis
By the numbers
The Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks and analyzes election advertising, has identified at least 164 political ads generated or enhanced with AI during the current election cycle.
asserted
which → track → cycle
A press release about the data cautions that there are likely many more since it can be difficult to tell definitively if AI was used.
asserted
AI → caution → data
Of this total, 69% of the ads did not disclose the use of AI tools.
asserted
% → disclose → tools
Asked about how many of the ads without disclosures were aired in states with laws about AI use in political campaigns, Travis Ridout, the project’s co-director, cross-referenced his data with that from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
asserted
cross → ask → Legislatures
He found that in states with no laws regarding the disclosure of AI use in campaign ads, 32% of such ads contained a disclaimer anyway.
asserted
% → find → disclaimer
Only 29% of those from states with regulations included a disclosure.
asserted
% → include → disclosure
Ridout cautioned that there are some caveats to these findings.
asserted
Ridout → caution → findings
One, some ads in the project’s database are not subject to regulation by these laws because of how the AI was used.
asserted
AI → use → laws
For example, Tennessee’s law only concerns deepfakes impersonating candidates.
asserted
law → concern → candidates
Two, an AI law may have been enacted after an ad aired.
uncertain
ad → enact → ?
The fact that campaigns disclosed the use of AI when they weren’t legally required to still surprised him.
asserted
they → disclose → him
“I think it’s a time when campaigns are really trying to figure out what are the norms surrounding this, what are the laws surrounding this?” he said.
asserted
he → think → this
“It may depend on the campaign consultant or the firm that’s producing the ads.
uncertain
that → depend → ads
It’s a time of uncertainty and so it’s all shaking out right now.”
asserted
it → ’ → uncertainty
Deception vs. satire
While some ads appear to be intentionally deceptive, others come across as humorous, satirical, or too extreme to be real.
asserted
others → appear → satire
Republican Mike Rogers, who is in a tight race against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for an open Senate seat in Michigan, posted a video to X in June that showed him as a superhero performing physically impossible tasks such as stopping an out-of-control car with one hand.
asserted
him → post → hand
“Haters will say it’s AI,” the post read, presumably in jest.
asserted
post → say → jest
The campaign for North Carolina Republican state Sen. Michael Lee posted an ad in August attacking his opponent, Democrat Jessica Bichler, for being too liberal.
asserted
campaign → post → opponent
It shows Bichler, a yoga instructor, contorting her limbs into impossible positions.
asserted
Bichler → show → positions
A disclaimer states, “You guessed it!
asserted
You → state → it
AI was definitely used to generate these silly video clips.”
asserted
AI → use → clips
Out of the 164 ads identified by the Wesleyan Media Project, 80% were sponsored by either Republican candidates or pro-Republican groups.
asserted
% → identify → candidates
Eleven percent were from pro-Democratic sponsors, while the remaining 9% were ads for independent candidates in addition to ads focused on specific issues and more.
asserted
% → remain → issues
What’s next?
asserted
What → ’ → ?
Basil Smikle, a Democratic political strategist and policy adviser, said that a lack of disclosure on AI ads could be intentional, but that it could also be an oversight or the result of campaigns simply not knowing that they should include one.
uncertain
they → say → one
He explained that the ease with which AI ads can be created means increased cost savings and efficiency for campaigns.
asserted
ads → explain → campaigns
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
