--- title: "Can AI equalize political campaign ads – or will it remain a tool for spreading lies?" slug: "can-ai-equalize-political-campaign-ads-or-will-it-remain-a-tool-for-spreading-lies" date: 2026-07-08 category: tech-pub tags: [] language: en sources_count: 1 featured: false publisher: AInauten News url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/can-ai-equalize-political-campaign-ads-or-will-it-remain-a-tool-for-spreading-lies --- # Can AI equalize political campaign ads – or will it remain a tool for spreading lies? **Published**: 2026-07-08 | **Category**: tech-pub | **Sources**: 1 --- ## TL;DR - Jonathan Rinaldi, a Queens city council candidate, posted AI-made fake-news items with a CNN-style look and invented endorsements against Lynn Schulman in 2025. Schulman stayed in the race and won easily. --- ## Summary - Jonathan Rinaldi, a Queens city council candidate, posted AI-made fake-news items with a CNN-style look and invented endorsements against Lynn Schulman in 2025. Schulman stayed in the race and won easily. - On 24 June, Rinaldi was charged with alleged forgery. He argues the posts were satire and political art, while local officials frame the case as potential voter deception. - AI campaign material is spreading across US politics as memes, deepfakes, attack clips and robocalls. Examples include fake Biden calls, Trump slopaganda and AI videos in congressional primaries. - More than 30 US states now regulate political deepfakes, mostly through disclosure rules. Broad bans in California and Hawaii were struck down over First Amendment concerns. --- ## Why it matters Jonathan Rinaldi, a Queens city council candidate, posted AI-made fake-news items with a CNN-style look and invented endorsements against Lynn Schulman in 2025. Schulman stayed in the race and won easily. --- ## Key Points - Jonathan Rinaldi, a Queens city council candidate, posted AI-made fake-news items with a CNN-style look and invented endorsements against Lynn Schulman in 2025. Schulman stayed in the race and won easily. - On 24 June, Rinaldi was charged with alleged forgery. He argues the posts were satire and political art, while local officials frame the case as potential voter deception. - AI campaign material is spreading across US politics as memes, deepfakes, attack clips and robocalls. Examples include fake Biden calls, Trump slopaganda and AI videos in congressional primaries. - More than 30 US states now regulate political deepfakes, mostly through disclosure rules. Broad bans in California and Hawaii were struck down over First Amendment concerns. --- ## Nauti's Take The democratization pitch is convenient: less money, more reach, a more equal stage. In practice, AI democratizes production before it democratizes accountability. A fake CNN-style item or invented endorsement is not scrappy campaigning; it is a test of how much deception platforms, voters and officials will tolerate. Good rules should care less about the label AI and more about the core question: does the ad fake a real person, source or endorsement? --- ## FAQ **Q:** What is Can AI equalize political campaign ads – or will it remain a tool for spreading lies? about? **A:** - Jonathan Rinaldi, a Queens city council candidate, posted AI-made fake-news items with a CNN-style look and invented endorsements against Lynn Schulman in 2025. Schulman stayed in the race and won easily. **Q:** Why does it matter? **A:** Jonathan Rinaldi, a Queens city council candidate, posted AI-made fake-news items with a CNN-style look and invented endorsements against Lynn Schulman in 2025. Schulman stayed in the race and won easily. **Q:** What are the key takeaways? **A:** Jonathan Rinaldi, a Queens city council candidate, posted AI-made fake-news items with a CNN-style look and invented endorsements against Lynn Schulman in 2025. Schulman stayed in the race and won easily.. On 24 June, Rinaldi was charged with alleged forgery. He argues the posts were satire and political art, while local officials frame the case as potential voter deception.. AI campaign material is spreading across US politics as memes, deepfakes, attack clips and robocalls. Examples include fake Biden calls, Trump slopaganda and AI videos in congressional primaries. --- ## Related Topics - — --- ## Sources - [Can AI equalize political campaign ads – or will it remain a tool for spreading lies?](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/08/ai-ads-political-campaigns) - The Guardian AI --- ## About This Article This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage. **Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com) --- *Last Updated: 2026-07-08*