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Texas politicians are increasingly deploying artificial intelligence in campaign ads, creating a digital battleground that tests voters’ ability to distinguish fact from fiction ahead of the 2026 primary elections.
This technological arms race continues unregulated after a bill that would have required disclosure of AI use in political advertising passed the Texas House last year but stalled in the Senate. The result is a political landscape where candidates freely employ everything from obvious AI cartoons to sophisticated deepfakes to attack opponents.
“AI-generated videos and images will, in the long term, desensitize voters to the importance of factually accurate information,” warns Ernesto Calvo, director of the Interdisciplinary Lab for Computational Social Science at the University of Maryland. “It is increasingly difficult, even for well-informed actors, to distinguish which of the vast number of videos and images are true and which are false.”
Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate, recently shared an AI-generated video depicting his Republican primary opponent, Senator John Cornyn, dancing with Democratic U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett of Dallas. Though the video included an AI disclosure at the end, its animated quality—with unnatural movements and faceless background figures—made the artificial nature apparent.
Crockett’s campaign criticized the ad for “attacking bipartisanship” rather than substance, stating the video targeted the congresswoman “for crossing the aisle to deliver solutions to our opioid crisis, to stop fentanyl deaths, and address hunger in Texas.”
Even clearly satirical AI content poses risks, according to Angie Holan, director of the International Fact-Checking Network. “Those of us who have fact-checked content online know that lots of people mistake parody for actual content,” Holan explained. “They’re busy, they’re scrolling quickly, and they just don’t pick up on the clues that what they’re looking at isn’t real.”
The AI phenomenon has spread to down-ballot races as well. Kat Wall, a Republican candidate for state House, published a satirical video against incumbent Representative Angelia Orr (R-Itasca) featuring AI-generated depictions of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping endorsing her opponent. While the ad includes a parody disclaimer, telltale signs of AI manipulation are evident, including poor lip synchronization.
A Wall campaign spokesperson acknowledged AI’s potential for deception but claimed they employ “safeguards” including clear disclosure language and ensuring claims can be documented.
Some AI deployments are more sophisticated and troubling. Senator Cornyn posted what appears to be an AI-generated video portraying U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt as a “show dog” without any disclosure about the use of technology. AI-detection tools indicated a 99% probability the video used artificial intelligence, with visual clues including blurred background elements, unnaturally folded flags, and stilted movements.
“The technology is developing so fast,” said Katie Sanders, editor-in-chief of PolitiFact. “What I suspect can happen is that it makes people more skeptical of what they see. If you feel that you can’t believe what you are seeing, you might be inclined to not believe anything.”
Cornyn has also shared multiple AI-generated images depicting Democratic candidates as monsters, including state Representative James Talarico transformed into “Taxula”—a vampire clutching a tax bill—and former U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke as “Franken-Beto,” a stitched-together monster powered by “California Mandates.”
Even candidates using AI to bolster their image face scrutiny. Representative Crockett released an ad titled “Texans don’t back down. We rise,” which appears to include an AI-generated image showing her surrounded by supporters. When criticized on social media, her campaign avoided directly addressing the AI question, stating the ad “was created through hundreds of hours of real craft and collaboration between creatives and union labor.”
The campaigns of Crockett, Cornyn, and Paxton either declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries from the Texas Tribune regarding their use of AI.
Experts advise voters to exercise caution when encountering suspicious content. “Ask yourself: Where did this come from? Is this from an official campaign source? Has any news organization verified it?” Holan recommends. “If something seems designed to provoke emotions or outrage, treat that as a warning sign and look at it closely before you share it.”
As election season intensifies, the line between creative political expression and misleading manipulation grows increasingly blurred, leaving Texas voters to navigate a digital landscape where seeing is no longer necessarily believing.
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11 Comments
I’m really troubled by the idea of candidates freely using AI-generated videos and images to attack their opponents. That’s a recipe for eroding trust in our democratic process. We need much stronger safeguards to ensure honesty and transparency in political advertising.
I’m curious to hear more about the specific regulations and safeguards that could be implemented to address the use of AI in political ads. It’s a challenging problem, but it’s crucial that we find a solution that preserves the fairness and integrity of our elections.
This digital arms race around AI in ads is really worrying. It’s already hard enough for people to discern fact from fiction, and these new technologies will just make it even harder. Something needs to be done to protect the integrity of our elections.
This is a worrying trend that speaks to the urgent need for greater oversight and regulation of AI in political advertising. The potential for abuse and manipulation is clear, and we can’t afford to let it undermine the foundations of our democracy.
The fact that a bill to require disclosure of AI use in political ads stalled in the Texas Senate is really concerning. Voters deserve to know when they’re being exposed to AI-generated content, and I hope lawmakers take this issue seriously moving forward.
The rise of AI in political ads is a troubling trend that could have far-reaching consequences. Voters deserve to receive truthful, factual information, not manipulated content designed to deceive. Strong action is needed to address this issue.
While I appreciate the potential of AI to enhance and streamline political communication, its use in ads is deeply problematic. We need to find a way to ensure that voters have access to accurate, factual information, not manipulated content designed to sway opinions.
The use of AI in political ads is certainly concerning. It’s crucial that voters can trust the information they receive and not be misled by manipulated content. Increased transparency and regulation around this technology is needed.
The rise of AI-generated videos and images in political ads is a troubling development that deserves serious attention. Voters need to be able to trust the information they’re receiving, and we can’t allow these technologies to be used to erode that trust.
This is a really complex issue, but I worry that the use of AI in political ads will ultimately undermine voters’ ability to make informed decisions. We need to find a way to harness the benefits of this technology while also protecting the integrity of our electoral process.
While AI can certainly be a powerful tool, its use in political ads is deeply concerning. The potential to create fake or misleading content that could sway voters is a serious threat to our democracy. We need robust regulations to prevent this kind of abuse.