House Democrats are preparing sweeping legislation to regulate artificial intelligence in political advertising, planning a major push if they gain control of Congress next year, according to reporting by Axios. The move reflects growing alarm over the explosive use of AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated videos in the current election cycle.
The 2026 midterms have seen campaigns deploy AI technology to blur ethical lines and test the boundaries of attack ads. In Kentucky's 4th congressional district, one ad attacked Rep. Thomas Massie using fake videos showing him dining and checking into a hotel with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, falsely suggesting a relationship between the three politicians. A competing spot used AI to depict rival Ed Gallrein fleeing a Trump rally and abandoning the former president in a wartime scenario, all without disclosure to voters.
Rep. Joe Morelle of New York, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, has already begun building the legislative framework for an AI disclosure requirement. "Regulating the use of AI on the campaign trail will absolutely be a priority," Morelle told Axios, signaling he has already held conversations with the technology sector about the specifics of his proposed bill.
Republican groups have embraced the technology widely. The National Republican Senatorial Committee created deepfakes of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Texas state Rep. James Talarico. A political action committee backing Jonathan Bush in Maine's gubernatorial race produced an entire ad of AI-generated footage showing his rival Robert Charles holding money while Barack Obama places a hand on his shoulder. Online activists supporting Spencer Pratt, a former reality television personality running for Los Angeles mayor, have generated AI campaign videos.
Democrats have not entirely avoided using the technology themselves. A Democratic House candidate in upstate New York released an AI video attacking Rep. Elise Stefanik last summer. Rep. Jasmine Crockett faced accusations of using AI to enlarge crowds in her ads during her unsuccessful Texas Senate bid. Jesse Jackson Jr., an unsuccessful Illinois House candidate, used the technology to enhance the voice of former Rep. Bobby Rush, whose vocal cords were damaged by throat cancer.
The financial incentive driving AI adoption is powerful. Campaigns increasingly turn to the technology to sidestep the rising costs of traditional ad production. That economic reality suggests AI in politics will persist regardless of public skepticism or regulatory concerns.
Author James Rodriguez: "Democrats are right to worry, but disclosure alone won't solve this, because most voters won't read the fine print anyway."
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