Missouri Senate candidate goes on attack with AI ads

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Political campaigns, like Republican state Senate candidate Rudy Veit's, are using artificial intelligence in their political advertisements to get their message across and/or to disparage opponents.

This week, Veit's campaign launched advertisements using AI against another candidate, Jake Vogel. Both men are seeking the Republican nomination in Missouri's Senate District 6, where current Sen. Mike Bernskoetter is term-limited. The district covers a large area of Mid-Missouri, including Cole County.

"Well, AI, it's like anything, it is a new technique that's out there," Veit said of his campaign's ads using AI. "It's a constitutional right to do it. But you use that to your own peril; if you abuse it and people see you're being offensive with it, it's going to cost you."

One ad is opposing candidate Vogel and Amendment 5, and includes AI cartoons along with a song about "No Go Vogel."

Another ad, also opposing Vogel and Amendment 5, includes AI with a more serious tone.

Veit said that his use of AI helped make his point clear.

Vogel declined to comment on the ads.

"Well, it brought home the point. There's a difference between he and I on Amendment 5. I'm opposed to Amendment 5," Veit said.

Veit said the ad highlights candidates' differences "in a manner that's not insulting. It is factual, and you see a little bit of humor."

Ben Warner, a professor of political communication at the University of Missouri, said we are in a time of exploration when it comes to using AI in political ads. Warner notes that AI will eventually do more than generate images and videos.

"But certainly people will want to use it for writing ad copy, for doing audience analysis, for probably trying to simplify and shorten message testing," Warner said.

Warner said that he does not think that the ads are deceptive.

"It didn't look like the people were being leveraged to say something inauthentic," Warner said.