# AI ads flood the midterms

News · Heat 2.7 / 10 · 4 shows · 20m airtime

A Wesleyan University research group released an analysis on October 16, 2026, counting 220 midterm ads that used AI-generated imagery, 18 days before the midterms. More than 80 percent came from Republicans or GOP-backing groups, and the ads range from small edits to deepfakes of Democratic figures. Reporting since has put nearly $140 million in candidate and PAC spending behind those ads, and more than 70 percent carry no disclaimer. The discussion turns on the absence of disclosure rules in 20 states and how much AI messaging remains undisclosed.

Page: https://boilpoints.com/point/ai_ads_flood_the_midterms_558158963

## Segments

- [The Headlines](https://boilpoints.com/u/theheadlines), 2026-10-16, 0:28 to 2:35: **Reports the Wesleyan count of AI midterm ads**. Opens the episode with the Wesleyan analysis of AI-generated midterm ads: over 200 ads, more than 80 percent from Republicans or GOP-backing groups, deepfakes of Mamdani and El-Sayed, and 20 states with no AI disclosure law. A distinct story from the super PAC ad campaign, and the first coverage of it here. New angle: A Wesleyan analysis counted over 200 midterm ads using AI imagery, more than 80 percent from Republicans or GOP-backing groups, with 20 states lacking AI disclosure laws.
- [Morning Wire](https://boilpoints.com/u/morningwire), 2026-10-16, 6:14 to 7:25: **Adds the $140 million spending figure**. Adds the spending figure to the Wesleyan count: nearly $140 million promoting the AI ads, and a wider footprint of 220 ads across 30 states. The Republican share holds at about 80 percent. New angle: Candidates and PACs have spent nearly $140 million promoting the 220 AI ads this cycle.
- [Today, Explained](https://boilpoints.com/u/todayexplained), 2026-10-22, 2:15 to 13:10: **Interviews a researcher on political slopaganda**. Long interview with an NYU technology-policy researcher on political slopaganda: the Pratt-as-Batman ads, the Paxton content on Talarico, Blakeman's Hochul spots, Wiener's Connie Chan chatbot. It restates the Wesleyan $137 million figure and the $11 billion cycle total, and stays inside the study's frame.
- [Bloomberg Tech](https://boilpoints.com/u/bloombergtech), 2026-10-27, 24:23 to 29:51: **Brings on the researcher behind the count**. Brings on the Wesleyan researcher behind the count a week before the midterms: more than $137 million in AI ads, over 220 tracked, more than 80 percent from Republican sponsors and more than 70 percent without a disclaimer. She separates hyper-realistic deepfakes from obvious parody and notes there is no federal disclosure rule, only a state patchwork. New angle: More than 80 percent of detected AI political ads came from Republican sponsors; more than 70 percent carry no disclaimer.