Can AI influence elections? New research says it already is

As AI becomes an increasingly common part of daily life, its potential to emerge as a leading influence on people’s political opinions grows ever more significant.

Canadians are more susceptible to AI political chatbots than Americans

According to a recent study done by Cornell University researchers, published by Nature, a science journal, Canadians were found to be more susceptible to AI political arguments and changing their votes as a result, compared to Americans.

The study was conducted in Canada during the 2025 federal election and in the United States during the 2024 election. In the United States, after interacting with a pro-Harris chatbot, about five percent of respondents switched their vote to Kamala Harris, while around three percent switched their vote to Donald Trump after talking to a pro-Trump bot. In Canada, meanwhile, after chatting with the pro-Carney AI bot, 11 percent switched their vote to Carney, compared to around eight percent with the pro-Poilievre AI bot. The authors attribute Canada’s larger persuasion effects to lower polarization and less information saturation than in the US.

While these percentages may appear modest, even small shifts in vote share can have outsized political consequences. Marginal changes can determine whether a candidate governs with a strong mandate or a weak one, whether a party secures unified control of the White House and Congress, or whether a government wins a stable four-year majority in parliament.

AI is more effective than conventional political advertising

Nature noted that concerning the US, when the AI bot was coded to advocate for a candidate opposite to the study participant's initial views, the person’s ratings shifted towards the bot’s candidate by two to four points. They also pointed out that previous research found that conventional political advertisements typically shifted people’s views by less than a point. AI in this study proved to be at least twice as effective.

With each passing year, more and more people use generative AI in their daily lives. According to a Pew Research Poll in June 2025, the percentage of US adults using ChatGPT for tasks at work went from eight percent in March 2023 to 28 percent in March 2025. Similar rises are shown for users using ChatGPT for entertainment and to learn something new.

While candidates across the political aisle and internationally have been hesitant to use AI in a major way, with persuasion among AI chatbots being this high, not to mention more cost-effective than ads, perhaps more candidates will explore the possibility of AI campaigns in the future.