The Wesleyan Media Project identified at least 164 AI-generated or AI-enhanced political ads in the 2026 cycle; 69% lacked AI disclosures. Its co-director found disclosures on 29% of ads in states with such laws, versus 32% in states without them.
One example is a New York governor’s race ad for Republican Bruce Blakeman, which used AI-generated images of Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The ad disclosed that Blakeman’s campaign paid for it but did not mention AI. The state Democratic Party filed an August complaint alleging a violation of New York’s disclosure law; Blakeman’s campaign did not immediately respond.
Republican candidates or pro-Republican groups sponsored 80% of the 164 ads; pro-Democratic sponsors accounted for 11%, with the remaining 9% from independent candidates, issue ads and others. The state-law comparison has caveats: some ads fell outside the laws’ scope, and some laws may have taken effect only after ads aired. Experts say enforcement and regulatory boundaries remain unsettled.
