In this segment of The Daily Show, Jordan Klepper explores the growing influence of AI deepfakes on political campaigns during the 2026 midterms (0:24-0:34). He critiques how this technology is being used by candidates in various ways, from smear campaigns to deceptive self-promotion.
Key takeaways from the video:
- Smearing Opponents: Candidates are utilizing AI-generated content to create deceptive narratives about their rivals. Examples include misleading ads targeting New York Governor Kathy Hochul (0:41-1:10) and a bizarre, AI-generated attack ad against Texas Democrat James Telerico (2:24-2:52).
- Heroic Self-Depiction: Some candidates, such as Jay Collins and Mike Rogers, are using AI to alter their appearance to look like superheroes or action figures to appear "tough" to voters (3:11-3:49).
- Shameless Pandering: Klepper highlights instances where candidates use AI to fabricate endorsements or imply they have a diverse group of supporters, such as the school board candidate who photoshopped a crowd into an image with his friends (4:45-5:45).
- Disclosure Laws: The segment mentions how some states, like Michigan, now require candidates to disclose when they use AI in campaign ads (5:45-6:32), which leads to some awkward and often redundant disclaimers.
Jordan Klepper concludes by warning that while these AI ads can be laughable or poorly executed, they represent a genuine threat to democracy and urges voters to stay vigilant against misinformation (6:59-7:16).