"Partisan websites disguised as independent, local news outlets are shaping chatbots’ responses about key races."
"It’s no secret that AI has become an explosive factor in American politics. Even before the latest concerns that AI poses existential risks to humanity, many people had soured on the rapid growth of data centers used to support the technology. Meanwhile, tens of millions of AI industry dollars are sloshing around the midterm campaign in support of candidates on both sides of the aisle.
But the increasing ubiquity of AI is also quietly shaping the perceptions of voters who are simply trying to educate themselves about the candidates — and are unknowingly being served partisan talking points in the guise of neutral news summaries.
Leading AI chatbots cite partisan websites masquerading as independent local news outlets nearly half of the time when people ask about candidates and issues that the partisan sites have covered in the midterm campaign, according to a new audit by NewsGuard, an organization focused on news reliability where we work as analysts.
These “pink slime” sites have gone into overdrive ahead of the 2026 elections, actively promoting articles designed to influence which party controls Congress in the last two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. Many of these sites, which don’t disclose their political orientation, are focused on the Senate and House races that are considered toss-ups and where small voter swings could be the deciding factor."
Ines Chomnalez and Isis Blachez report for POLITICO September 25, 2026.
