Campaigns and political groups have spent more than $137 million on 220 AI-generated or AI-enhanced advertisements during the 2026 U.S. midterm election cycle, according to a report from the Wesleyan Media Project. Published October 15, the report says the total is probably an undercount because AI use can be difficult to identify.
220 Ads, $137 Million
The Wesleyan Media Project found AI-related ads in 34 states. That compares with less than $50,000 in spending on AI-generated ads during the 2024 election cycle.
To track the ads, the project uses its own coding, advertising disclaimers, media reports and AdImpact data. It counts ads that were generated at least partly with AI tools.
Labels Lag Behind Spending
Only 27% of the ads in the database included a disclaimer saying that artificial intelligence was used. The project said much of the AI use was not disclosed through any disclaimer.
Republican candidates or groups sponsored 81% of the ads, while Democrats sponsored 12%. Republican-affiliated sponsors also accounted for 88% of the spending.
Incomplete Count
The project does not include an ad when its researchers cannot confirm that AI was used. It also said many forms of AI use may go undetected, so the reported number of ads and the spending total are likely below the true totals.
References
Wesleyan Media Project. (2026, October 15). GOP lead in Senate spending narrows; Dems catch up in Senate broadcast airings. https://mediaproject.wesleyan.edu/releases-101526/