Campaign texts, powered by AI: How new tech is shaping voter outreach

What happened: Campaigns are testing AI chatbots powered by large language models to text voters ahead of November's election, holding thousands of conversations a day using campaign-approved material. Key numbers: Vector Political said it sent over 3 million text messages this cycle, leading to over 35,000 individual conversations. Why it matters: A Nature study found short AI chatbot conversations shifted voters' views more than political ads typically do, while a Science study found harder pushes reduce accuracy. Most states do not require disclosing that voters are texting with AI.

Campaigns are testing AI chatbots powered by large language models to text voters ahead of November's election, holding thousands of conversations a day using campaign-approved material.

A Nature study found short AI chatbot conversations shifted voters' views more than political ads typically do, while a Science study found harder pushes reduce accuracy. Most states do not require disclosing that voters are texting with AI.