As the nation gears up for midterm elections at various levels, middle and high school students have a timely chance to examine how artificial intelligence shapes political ads and propaganda. A recent study from the Center for National Security Studies and the Herbert Institute for Public Policy highlights a critical issue: most Americans struggle to identify synthetic content, particularly AI-generated deepfakes in political advertising, raising concerns about their influence on public opinion.
According to the report, “AI-generated deepfakes are already capable of influencing political opinion as effectively as authentic media,” and the people most likely to encounter them are not equipped to identify them. This highlights the need to help students gain awareness and skills to avoid AI manipulation as they become full participants in democracy.
AI in Political Campaigns
One of the first highly publicized AI ad campaigns in a governor’s race took place in 2024, aimed at North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson. The campaign, which heavily manipulated Robinson’s voice and image, was created by a private businessman and was criticized by Robinson’s opponent, Democrat Joel Stein, as inappropriate.
Artificial intelligence has entered the political arena with greater force by early 2026, with many AI-faked ads showing up during the April-June primary election season. Experts warn that generative AI and its associated tools make it possible to quickly and cheaply generate fake articles, images, videos, and posts that can look completely legitimate at first glance.
Pollster Lee Miringoff observed, “The potential for AI to spread misinformation is already happening. It’s more than just potential. It’s reality.” This raises concerns about the ability of voters to recognize AI-generated content and the need for media literacy education to combat the spread of misinformation.
A digital forensics expert and UC Berkeley Professor of Computer Science, Hany Farid, urges students to “consider the source” when encountering political ads, and to check the credibility of internet sources through lateral reading and fact-checking sites such as FactCheck.org, Politifact.com, and Associated Press Fact Check.
One strategy for checking the credibility of an internet source is lateral reading, which involves surveying well-respected fact-checking sites to see if they have reviewed particular political advertising for deceptive practices. FactCheck.org, Politifact.com, and Associated Press Fact Check are examples of such sites.
Media Literacy Education
Teachers can invest time in becoming more expert in the role AI is playing in both marketing and political persuasion. Resources like Common Sense Media and PBS Newshour Classroom offer lesson plans to help students recognize AI-generated content. The MIT Media Lab project Detect DeepFakes also offers the opportunity to test one’s ability to detect fake images and videos.
Stanford University’s Teaching Commons offers a faculty Artificial Intelligence Teaching Guide that middle and high school teachers might find useful. Additionally, resources like these can help: Common Sense Media has a short, effective lesson for use with students in grades 6-12, called Are Deepfake Videos a Threat to Democracy? and includes a teaching video, Deepfakes and Democracy. PBS Newshour Classroom offers an excellent lesson plan (grades 6-12): AI Unlocked — how to recognize AI-generated content.
As a media educator, one should urge ABS – Always Be Skeptical. If one suspects something is not real, and it may not be; that’s the time to CHECK IT OUT. Digital forensics expert and UC Berkeley Professor of Computer Science Hany Farid urges students to “consider the source.” That’s very good advice. If they’re not sure who created and shared a political ad, checking the source might be their first red flag.
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