According to the article, we stand on the brink of a new era in electoral politics — one where AI‑powered tools make targeted persuasion massively scalable, cheap, and more effective than traditional political advertising. Rather than simply boosting content creation, these tools can engage individuals directly through conversational interfaces like chatbots, tailor messages based on voter data, and sustain continuous, personalized outreach at scale.
Recent empirical studies back up this concern. For instance, research involving chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs) shows that very short interactions can sway voter attitudes. In one notable experiment with U.S. voters, AI‑generated messaging caused measurable shifts in opinions toward a candidate. In international tests — including Canada and Poland — the effects were even stronger.
However, the effectiveness of AI‑driven political persuasion comes with caveats. While AI messaging was more persuasive than traditional ads in these studies, it often relied on “information‑dense” content — many factual claims packed into the conversation. Paradoxically, the more persuasive the chatbot became, the more likely it was to produce misleading or inaccurate information. This suggests a trade‑off: increased persuasion may come at the cost of truthfulness.
In sum, the article argues that AI isn’t just another tool — it's a potential game changer for politics. Because it lowers the cost and raises the reach of personalized persuasion, AI could redraw the rules of campaigning, voter targeting, and public opinion shaping. The authors warn that without strong safeguards, transparency requirements, and informed public discourse, AI‑driven persuasion could erode democratic fairness.
