\u00a0On September 10, 2024, the challenges of AI made their maiden appearance on the presidential debate stage, primarily through a discussion of U.S.-China technological competition, national security, and microchip manufacturing. Today, a cursory glance at headlines, opinion pieces, and online discussions\u2014or a quick query to ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude\u2014reveals that the potential benefits and enormous risks of AI have become a major source of concern for voters and policymakers in a remarkably short period of time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If one is looking for a discussion on data centers, on whether there is an AI \u201cbubble\u201d in the stock market, on potential job disruptions, on deepfakes and misinformation, on education, on national security, or on potential future bioterrorism hazards, it\u2019s not hard to find. Congress may consider legislation establishing a regulatory framework on AI. Super PACs funded by AI interests have raised and begun to spend significant money in federal and local 2026 campaigns. States are moving forward with their own AI regulations, choosing not to wait for Congress.<\/p>\n
As the United States heads into the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 primaries and general election, one AI issue that hasn\u2019t played a significant role in this debate is the increasing impact on elections when voters, particularly (but not exclusively) younger voters, use the AI platforms as a primary source of not just candidate information, but also guidance and advice on how to vote and who to vote for.<\/p>\n
Gen Z (ages 18\u201329) is already the most prolific group of users of AI chatbots in the United States. A Pew Research poll found that among U.S. teens (ages 13\u201317) nearly two-thirds (64%) reported using AI chatbots. Younger people are also more likely to use AI chatbots for mental health advice and advice on personal relationships. There is no reason to doubt that many of these young voters will also consult their AI advisers on the right choice of candidates for public office. They may have their own clear preference for candidates at the top of the ballot but rely entirely on AI for the down-ballot races. It seems equally likely that these voters will turn to AI for help with the choices\u2014and the strategies for making them\u2014in ranked-choice voting.<\/p>\n
In 2016, social media became a tool for foreign interests, primarily Russian, to attempt to influence American elections \u201cby flooding social media with false reports, conspiracy theories and trolls\u201d (Statement<\/a> of Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr, R-NC, October 18, 2019). But AI chatbots are potentially more damaging because users perceive neutrality in the presentation of information without understanding, or keeping in mind, that the chatbots draw from a vast store of data of widely-varying degrees of reliability or factual basis.<\/p>\n