AI deepfake ads invade midterm election campaigns

The midterm elections are set to be the first election cycle where Artificial Intelligence deepfakes play a significant role, a trend that will only strengthen as the country approaches election day.

AI is almost exclusively used in attack ads against opponents, often portraying them as doing or saying embarrassing things. The highest profile example of AI use is in the Texas Senate race, where the Republican PAC Citizens for Sanity paid six figures for an ad campaign featuring a deepfake version of Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico in a dress singing a 15-second parody of “Favorite Things,” with the lyrics instead singing about his love for transgender children.