Bailey campaign embraces artificial intelligence in new era of politics – Shaw Local
Bailey campaign embraces artificial intelligence in new era of politics – Shaw Local
Publish Date: 2026-06-30 13:51:00
Source Domain: www.shawlocal.com
- Darren Bailey’s Illinois gubernatorial campaign is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images and videos on social media, to increase engagement and reach a larger audience on platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
- Bailey’s campaign uses AI-generated content to portray his opponent, Gov. JB Pritzker, humorously and unfavorably, arguing the content catches people’s attention and resonates with a satirical, cartoon-like appeal.
- The high engagement rates from AI-generated content help Bailey’s campaign, which relies mainly on small-dollar donations, compete with Pritzker’s more financially robust campaign, which has spent millions of dollars of the governor’s own money on previous campaigns and already invested over $25 million for the current race.
- In contrast, Pritzker’s campaign has an internal policy against using AI-generated imagery, using it only for background purposes and in data analysis.
- Bailey’s campaign asserts that its AI content is not malicious and serves a purpose similar to traditional political cartoons, while Pritzker’s camp argues that Bailey’s AI content produces fictional narratives not based in reality.
- Lawmakers in Illinois, including Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, are discussing enacting regulations that would require disclosure when political ads use AI, with some suggesting broader measures to limit image manipulation regardless of using AI.
- Despite the debate over AI content, its increasing prevalence in everyday society suggests it is likely to remain a part of political campaigns.
