How Campaigns Are Using AI in 2025
- Zack Arnold
- Jun 13
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 17
In 2024, the Center for Campaign Innovation revealed that 11% of voters used AI tools like ChatGPT to research candidates. That number is only growing. As voters turn to AI for political information, campaigns must rethink how they communicate. This goes far beyond traditional SEO, it requires an understanding of how artificial intelligence interprets and shares content.
How Campaigns Are Using AI Today
1. Message Generation
Campaign teams are leveraging AI tools, like ChatGPT and Claude, to draft email appeals, social ads, and speeches quickly and consistently, reducing workload and speeding up response times.
2. Voter Segmentation & Targeting
AI platforms are analyzing complex datasets—like past voting behavior, demographic info, and funding history—to supply hyper-targeted outreach strategies that personalize engagement at scale.
3. Content Optimization for AI Models
Campaigns are now designed not just for SEO but for AI discoverability—using concise summaries, FAQs, and conversational phrasing that increases the chances of AI bots citing the content directly.
4. Combatting Disinformation
In response to potential abuses such as deepfake ads and AI-generated robocalls, proactive campaigns are deploying sophisticated tools to detect and counter malicious content before it spreads.
Guidelines and Legal Trends To Know
Transparency Requirements
Several state governments and digital platforms now mandate disclosure of AI-generated content, particularly around election season, to uphold public trust.
Deepfake Restrictions
At least 24 states have enacted laws banning or requiring disclaimers for deepfakes in political campaigns (Reference) Federally, legislation like the TAKE IT DOWN Act and proposed REAL Political Ads Act show growing concern over deceptive AI content.
NCSL’s Legal Patchwork
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is tracking a fast-growing web of AI legislation. With no uniform federal law yet, campaigns must watch each state’s laws on deepfakes, voter data, and automated outreach.
Best Practices for Campaign Teams When Using AI
✓ Write for Humans and Bots. The way people consume content is changing, and so is the way AI understands it. To ensure your messaging is effective:
Use clear headings and bullet points so both voters and AI tools can quickly identify key points.
Include concise summaries or FAQs at the top or bottom of articles to improve the likelihood your content is included in AI-generated responses.
Maintain a conversational tone that mirrors how AI tools like ChatGPT communicate. That means short, direct sentences, minimal jargon, and active voice.
Make your website AI-crawlable by ensuring HTML formatting, alt-text on images, and avoiding text embedded in images, which AI tools may not be able to read.
✓ Audit AI Outputs. AI tools are powerful, but not perfect. Don’t assume they’ll always get your message right.
Routinely ask AI tools like ChatGPT what they say about your candidate, issue, or campaign. This helps you identify misrepresentations or outdated info.
Update content proactively if you see inaccurate answers showing up frequently. AI tools are trained on existing public content, so your digital footprint matters.
Consider having your communications team maintain an “AI Audit Log” to track how your campaign is being presented by popular tools.
✓ Disclose Use Transparently. Voters care about honesty. If you're using AI-generated content:
Clearly label AI-written blog posts, emails, or chatbot messages (e.g., “This message was AI-assisted and reviewed by our team.”)
In chatbots or virtual assistants, use disclaimers like: “This is an AI-powered assistant. For urgent or official matters, please contact our staff directly.”
Transparency not only fosters trust but may also protect you from future scrutiny or regulation.
✓ Stay Ethical and Responsible. The temptation to use AI for viral moments or aggressive tactics is real—but restraint matters.
Avoid using deepfakes, AI-generated impersonations, or fake endorsements. Misuse of generative media can quickly lead to reputational damage and even legal consequences.
Refrain from creating AI-generated attack ads, which can blur the lines between criticism and misinformation.
Develop an AI ethics policy internally. Define what AI tools your team may or may not use, and where human oversight is required.
✓ Train Your Team. The tools may be new, but they’re only as effective as the people using them.
Offer training sessions on AI content creation, AI auditing, and emerging regulatory risks.
Assign a dedicated staff member or consultant to oversee AI integration into your digital strategy and ensure it aligns with your campaign values.
✓ Prepare for Regulation. AI is becoming a hot-button issue in political transparency, and regulations are coming.
Stay informed about Federal Election Commission guidance, state-level AI regulations, and any platform-specific rules (e.g., Meta or Google’s AI content policies).
Document your processes, content sources, and approval workflows to maintain compliance records in case your campaign is ever challenged.
These best practices don’t just help you avoid missteps, they empower your campaign to lead in a fast-changing digital landscape. When used wisely and transparently, AI can enhance engagement, efficiency and voter trust.
Final Thoughts
AI is already transforming how voters get their information, and how campaigns reach them. But this isn’t just about tools. It’s about strategy, ethics, and responsibility. Campaigns that understand how AI works and how voters use it, will have a clear advantage. It won’t be enough to just “rank”, you’ll need to be accurate, transparent, and ahead of the curve.
