Use of AI in Texas Political Campaign Ads Sparks Debate

Candidates and strategists weigh in on the ethical use of AI in political advertising.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political campaign ads in Texas has sparked a debate, with some candidates and strategists arguing for increased disclosure and others pushing back against heavy-handed regulation. The closing shot of Dallas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett's U.S. Senate campaign ad has raised questions about the potential use of AI, while Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn has been accused of altering images in his own ads. The director of AI Innovation at the University of Texas School of Law, Kevin Frazier, argues that all AI use should be disclosed, but that the conversation should be political and values-based, varying from state to state.

Why it matters

The use of AI in political advertising raises concerns about transparency, authenticity, and the potential to mislead voters. As AI technology becomes more advanced and accessible, there are questions about how it should be regulated and whether candidates should be required to disclose its use in their campaigns.

The details

In Crockett's campaign ad, a closing shot appears to show her surrounded by a large crowd, which Democratic strategist and YouTuber Keith Edwards claims contains 'an invisible digital identifier used by Google to verify content created by its AI.' Crockett's campaign says the ad was created through 'hundreds of hours of real craft and collaboration,' but did not directly address the AI question. On the Republican side, Sen. Cornyn has been accused of altering images in his own ads, including depicting his challenger, Houston U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, as the book character 'Where's Waldo.' A video of Cornyn dancing with Crockett, part of an ad from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, discloses the use of AI in the final shot.

  • The closing shot of Crockett's campaign ad has raised eyebrows.
  • Cornyn has altered images in his own campaign ads against challenger Wesley Hunt.
  • A video of Cornyn dancing with Crockett, part of an ad from Paxton, discloses the use of AI.

The players

Jasmine Crockett

A Dallas Democratic U.S. Representative running for U.S. Senate.

John Cornyn

The incumbent Republican U.S. Senator from Texas.

Wesley Hunt

A Houston U.S. Representative and Cornyn's challenger.

Ken Paxton

The Texas Attorney General and a top Republican opponent of Cornyn.

Kevin Frazier

The director of AI Innovation at the University of Texas School of Law.

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What they’re saying

“We just need to adjust, in my opinion, to the AI era and try to increase AI literacy among the public.”

— Kevin Frazier, Director of AI Innovation, University of Texas School of Law (newspub.live)

“Having some availability to know whether or not an image or an ad was generated by AI, but not going so far as to prohibit its use or to try to slap some heavy-handed law on it. This should be a political and values-based conversation that may vary from state to state.”

— Kevin Frazier, Director of AI Innovation, University of Texas School of Law (newspub.live)

“It is my goal to prevent someone from impacting or altering an election by using fake media that never occurred in reality, be an AI or deepfakes.”

— Dade Phelan, Texas State Representative (newspub.live)

What’s next

Early voting in the Texas primary elections starts next Tuesday.

The takeaway

The debate over the use of AI in political advertising highlights the need for increased transparency and public understanding of how this technology is being used to influence elections. As AI becomes more prevalent, voters will need to be vigilant in scrutinizing the authenticity of campaign materials and holding candidates accountable for their use of this technology.