The artificial intelligence industry has enjoyed a resurgence under President Trump, who paved the way for tech innovation with his AI Action Plan and an executive order that limits state regulations on the technology. At the same time, the general public is starting to get nervous, with about half of adults in the United States admitting they’re more concerned than excited about AI’s rise in daily life, according to a September 2025 Pew Research survey.
What Role Could AI Play in Future Elections?
Besides being the hottest issue entering the 2026 midterms, AI could further influence voter behavior in the form of AI-generated content that could alter perceptions around current events and political campaigns. Tech companies could double down on lobbying efforts as well, shaping AI policy behind the scenes. And the issue of AI could create bipartisan alliances, shaking up the Democratic and Republican parties.
Amidst Trump’s Big Tech ties and deregulation push, anti-AI resentment is bound to boil over in this year’s midterms. But AI promises to be more than a one-time factor swaying voter behavior, considering its potential to transform society.
“It’s something that we’ll grapple with for years to come, in terms of how this impacts us,” Marena Tedaldi, Manager of Security and Intelligence at Duco, a consulting marketplace that connects tech companies with experts in AI, policy and cybersecurity, among other areas, told Built In. “Just being able to talk about it across political parties is something that’s really important.”
Unfortunately, the United States is anything but united when it comes to artificial intelligence. Because AI has exposed the fragile nature of both U.S. political parties and elections themselves, it’s poised to become a major force that could exacerbate the already polarized and fragmented landscape of the American electoral process.
AI-Related Issues Top of Mind for Voters
There’s no question that AI will determine how Americans vote this election cycle, with fears over job losses and energy costs dominating the political discourse.
Impacts on the Labor Market
Although AI’s effects on the labor market remain muted for now, fears of a major disruption continue to grow. According to a 2026 study by FGS Global, 70 percent of participants believe that AI will “destroy more jobs than it creates.” This process doesn’t have to be sudden to wreak havoc. After all, AI may already be contributing to slower-moving shifts that are taking a toll on professionals and job-seekers.
AI may not be outright eliminating jobs, but it is likely a big reason why companies are making fewer hires. A 2025 survey from Hult International Business School found that more than a third of HR leaders would prefer using AI tools over hiring recent college graduates, and a 2025 SignalFire report confirmed that new grads represented just 7 percent of hires at tech companies in 2024. With younger graduates feeling the pressure, some are even turning to the skilled trades in light of there being fewer white-collar openings.
Given the rise of generative AI in the workplace, companies may be automating basic tasks typically handled by junior workers. And AI could take on even more complex tasks in the near future, with Nvidia’s Alpamayo model promising fully autonomous driving and Anthropic’s Claude Code offering to build applications within a matter of weeks. As companies release more advanced AI models and tools, voters will likely turn to politicians willing to safeguard their employment prospects in an AI-driven economy.
Rising Energy Demands
The number of U.S. data centers has rapidly expanded at the urging of Trump, who started his second term by introducing the Stargate project. While the intention was to boost America’s AI infrastructure to keep up with China in the AI race, the move has also resulted in depleted resources and higher electric bills for local communities. To offset these costs, tech titans like Microsoft and OpenAI have offered to cover inflated electricity prices, and they’re exploring energy sources like nuclear, hydrogen and solar to develop more efficient data centers.
Still, these measures may not be enough to address AI’s energy consumption and climate footprint. According to a 2026 assessment by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the grid systems powering much of the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Texas and East Coast could enter the “high risk” zone as soon as 2028 or 2029. This means that these regions could experience more power outages, since energy supplies will fall short of demand.
There are several different factors involved in this shift, but the assessment singles out new data centers as being the main culprit for “most of the projected increase in North American electricity demand over the next 10 years.” With such a bleak outlook for the U.S. grid system, data centers could be the most controversial topic heading into the 2026 midterms.
Risky Spending Habits
Another downside to the U.S. data center boom is the skyrocketing spending associated with it — and how companies secured their funding. The industry’s main players struck deals with each other to build out their infrastructure, resulting in funds being circulated among only a handful of companies. This means that industry growth was driven without broader business or public interest, signaling a market bubble that could pop very soon.
While the fallout would be catastrophic for AI companies, the rest of the economy would take a sizable hit as well. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, AI-related investments represented 2.51 percent of real GDP growth over the first nine months of 2025. This may seem like an insignificant amount, but it’s enough to resemble investment patterns during the dot-com era of the late 1990s and early 2000s. If AI companies’ spending proves to be irresponsible and sends the market into a tailspin, voters will almost certainly seek stricter oversight of the AI industry.
Mental Health and Privacy Concerns
A darker side to AI that’s entered the national spotlight is the potential toll this technology — namely chatbots — is having on our mental health, especially when it comes to kids. OpenAI has found itself at the center of this topic, with its ChatGPT chatbot being accused of acting as a “suicide coach” in several wrongful-death lawsuits involving teenagers. Besides exposing the negative mental health effects of AI tools, such cases also raise questions around possible data privacy violations that could occur during personal conversations with AI.
This loaded issue is bound to strike a nerve with many Americans. In a joint survey conducted by Gallup and the Special Competitive Studies Project, 80 percent of U.S. adults said the government should preserve rules on AI safety and data security, even if that hinders AI’s progression. It’s no surprise then that California has passed a state law regulating “companion chatbots,” and more tech laws are on the way in 2026.
Neither Political Party Knows How to Approach AI
Americans on both sides of the ideological spectrum are undeniably fixated on AI’s potential consequences, with the same percentage of Republicans and Democrats now “more concerned than excited” about AI’s proliferation in daily life, according to a November 2025 Pew study. Neither political party has responded with an effective strategy for managing the technology, though, fueling the urgency of the moment.
Republicans Are Struggling With Trump’s Ties to Big Tech
Trump and his party haven’t exactly seen eye-to-eye on artificial intelligence. For his part, Trump has gone out of his way to align himself with Big Tech, foregoing strict regulations in favor of rapid infrastructure development, increased American exports and various deals that place more assets in the hands of tech giants.
Needless to say, many on the right haven’t responded well to these decisions. Trump’s party members and former allies have spoken out against his push for more U.S. data centers, chip sales to China and executive order overriding state AI regulations. To pour salt on the wound, Trump’s former political strategist Steve Bannon has even targeted the very idea of accelerating AI innovation — a core concept for Trump’s second presidential term.
At the heart of the GOP’s internal struggle is the debate over whether to prioritize the interests of U.S. companies or the interests of U.S. workers and consumers. The conflict has escalated to the point where it threatens to sever Trump’s relationships with longtime allies and widen the cracks in his fragile MAGA coalition. While a fissure in the Republican party would present a golden opportunity for Democrats to regain political power, there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to capitalize on such a moment due to their own divisions over how to handle AI.
Democrats Are Delaying Meaningful Action on AI
Democrats’ attempts to distinguish themselves from Republicans have mostly been unsuccessful. For instance, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries launched a Democratic commission to help develop AI policies. However, his picks were criticized due to their questionable track records: Rep. Ted Lieu has held favorable views toward Google and used ChatGPT to write legislation; Rep. Josh Gottheimer bought stock in Nvidia, Tesla and Microsoft; and Rep. Valerie Foushee received campaign contributions from Google and Jeff Bezos.
Perhaps the most glaring example of Democrats’ lack of will, though, has been their stance on data centers. Independent U.S. Senator and longtime Democratic ally Bernie Sanders gave Democrats a chance to take swift, concrete action when he called for a moratorium on data centers. Instead, they refused to back such a proposal. Without a clear plan around data centers, Democrats are only feeding animosity between pro-business and pro-environment elements, which could splinter the party as AI’s impact on the climate draws more attention.
“There is this disconnect between part of the Democratic party that is really concerned around climate policy and how AI and data centers are impacting the climate, and this desire and need for innovation,” Tedaldi said. “Climate justice is being put on the back burner a bit, and it’s something that I expect to continue to come to the forefront.”
Elections Are Becoming Distorted Within a Fractured Reality
Voters and politicians are already divided over AI, and AI-generated content and lobbying efforts will likely sow even more distrust as they play a larger role in shaping the narratives of political campaigns and events.
AI-Generated Content Has Become Part of Political Campaigns
Widespread access to AI generators has inevitably spilled over into politics, with everyday users creating fake videos of protestors and using tools to unmask ICE agents. However, what’s more troubling is AI’s adoption by politicians. The Trump administration has become known for frequently posting media that pokes fun at political opponents — a tactic that Andrew Cuomo seemingly deployed during the New York mayoral race against Zohran Mamdani.
Not only does this content contribute to misinformation and spark tension around highly charged topics, but it also makes it harder to cut through AI slop and identify orchestrated attempts to destabilize the U.S. political environment. The fact that anyone can generate an AI deepfake means domestic and foreign entities can use these same tools to influence elections. If platforms get flooded with AI-generated material, it’ll be difficult to detect content that’s part of targeted campaigns, threatening the integrity of the American electoral process.
“Content moderation systems and AI detection systems are really not able to act at the same speed as the content being generated, especially when content can be spread so quickly across multiple platforms,” Tedaldi said. “It’s so fast that these systems are having a hard time keeping up. And I think that as we receive more political content as we near closer to the elections, that’s just going to become an even bigger issue.”
Political Spending Is Further Complicating Elections
Behind the scenes, America’s tech titans are going beyond simply donating to Trump’s political initiatives and personal projects to sway elections in their favor. In 2025, the eight largest tech companies dropped a total of $71 million on federal lobbying, according to analysis by bipartisan nonprofit Issue One. Meta made the greatest push to exert its political influence, spending more than $26 million on lobbying to the point of hiring one lobbyist for every six members of Congress.
The next phase of this lobbying blitz involves some of the biggest names in tech forming super PACs — a type of political action committee that can raise unlimited sums of money to support or oppose a candidate, as long as no contributions go directly to any candidate’s campaign. Some of this spending will likely fund ads and media, including AI-generated content, that straddle the thin line between political propaganda and misinformation.
It’s all part of the overarching plan to convince voters that pro-AI policies are best for the country, one way or another. And the 2026 midterms will serve as a litmus test to determine whether increased pro-AI lobbying will be effective in winning over Americans at a moment when the technology has evoked mixed feelings.
What to Expect From AI in the 2026 Midterms
As divisive as artificial intelligence has been, it has also created some unlikely alliances across the political aisle. For example, U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a bill to gather more data on how AI has affected workforces, while former U.S. Representatives Chris Stewart (R-UT) and Brad Carson (D-OK) announced two pro-regulation super PACs and a nonpartisan nonprofit to promote AI safety and stronger guardrails.
Voters appear to be adjusting their views as well, focusing less on party lines and homing in on America’s tech elite. According to a Gallup poll, 37 percent of Americans now see “big business” as the country’s top threat, nearly tying an all-time high on the 60-year survey. When Gallup asked an alternative version of the question that included “big technology,” 32 percent of Americans labeled Big Tech as most threatening to the U.S., and 20 percent chose big business.
Faced with a stern warning from Americans, politicians will need to decide where their priorities lie amidst a heated global AI race. Do business and tech interests matter more than the voices of everyday voters? How both parties answer this question will help determine the outcome of the upcoming midterms and what direction the country’s AI policy goes in the years ahead.
“We’re seeing this desire for innovation, and — especially in competition with China — we’re wanting to still be drivers of these technological innovations,” Tedaldi said. “But I think there’s also the other side of things where people are thinking, ‘Okay, well, how fast can we move at a safe rate?’ And those guardrails do slow down innovation, and that is a risk for global competition. And I think both parties have struggled with that.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What AI-related issues do American voters care about most?
While AI’s impact on the workforce has become a hot topic, voters are just as concerned about data centers and their associated financial and environmental costs. In addition, massive industry spending has stoked fears of an AI bubble, and cases of AI psychosis have led to broader discussions around mental health and personal privacy. All these issues will likely factor into voters’ decisions in future elections.
Is there a consensus among U.S. politicians on how to address AI?
No, neither major U.S. political party has established a clear strategy on AI. Trump has taken a strong pro-AI stance, but members of his MAGA coalition are less excited about the technology. Meanwhile, Democrats have failed to capitalize on Republican divisions, making half-hearted attempts to regulate AI and refusing to take decisive actions that would distinguish them from their GOP counterparts.
How will AI-generated content influence the 2026 midterms?
Anyone can create AI-generated content regarding current events that could be misleading to viewers and exacerbate political tensions. It doesn’t help that U.S. politicians — including the president himself — have leveraged this technology to quickly spread propaganda. As AI content proliferates online, it will become more difficult to cut through the noise and identify coordinated efforts to destabilize the American electoral process.
