A new analysis of campaign finance records reveals how artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping U.S. political campaigns, with spending on AI tools growing rapidly among candidates and committees. Despite its rising role, politicians remain tight-lipped about how they deploy the technology, even as public skepticism lingers—over 70% of Americans surveyed last year said they’d view a candidate less favorably if AI helped craft their speeches. The findings underscore a growing divide between the behind-the-scenes adoption of AI in politics and the reluctance to acknowledge its use openly. A recent book, Rewiring Democracy, explores this evolving dynamic and its implications for the future of American elections.
Though politicians are quiet about how they use AI, the book Rewiring Democracy examines how AI is starting to influence American politics New campaign finance disclosure data shines a light on which US political campaigns are using AI tools and how much they are spending on them.Candidates’, parties’, and committees’ spending reveals that AI is fast becoming an essential tool of politics. The candidates themselves are quiet about how they are using the technology in their own campaigns. It’s a sensitive issue that we have been tracking closely since we started writing our book, Rewiring Democracy, which examined how AI is beginning to influence politics. A September 2025 Pew survey of Americans found that more than 70% would think less of a candidate if they used AI to help write a speech. Continue reading...
