Steve Hilton Uses AI in New California Campaign Ad
The advertisement uses a synthetic depiction of Xavier Becerra to influence Latino voters regarding sports policy.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
Live Poll
Should political campaigns be banned from using AI-generated content in their advertisements?
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has released a new campaign advertisement featuring an AI-generated depiction of opponent Xavier Becerra. The digital spot, which includes a mandatory disclosure regarding its use of artificial intelligence, focuses on Becerra's policy positions.
Why it matters
The advertisement signals an increasing reliance on synthetic media to influence specific voter demographics by creating tailored, fictionalized political messaging. Hilton aims to leverage this technology to connect Becerra with controversial sports policy debates to court socially conservative Latino voters.
The advertisement highlights a 25-point lead for Becerra in the latest UC Berkeley IGS poll, despite Hilton targeting 14% of undecided voters. The impact of this synthetic media strategy remains unmeasured against traditional polling baselines.
The players
Steve Hilton
A Republican candidate for California governor currently utilizing synthetic media in his campaign strategy.
Xavier Becerra
The former Health and Human Services Secretary and current gubernatorial candidate polling at 45.7%.
The details
The campaign uses generative AI to create a fictionalized likeness of Xavier Becerra, designed to visually reinforce the candidate's stance on transgender participation in sports. Under California regulations, the advertisement includes a clear, mandatory text disclaimer confirming that the media was altered or created through synthetic processes. This approach is intended to polarize opinion among Latino parents who hold socially conservative views on school and sports regulations.
Timeline
November 2025: Xavier Becerra discusses sports rules in an interview with CBS California.
September 24, 2026: UC Berkeley IGS releases election poll results.
October 24, 2026: The AI-generated advertisement is published.
The Tech Race
This development follows the trends identified in the 2026 UC Berkeley IGS poll, which tracks shifting voter sentiment in California. The campaign utilizes synthetic media as a tactical response to the existing 5.6% polling deficit.
California voters should expect to see an increase in AI-labeled political content appearing across English and Spanish-language media channels. These ads are specifically engineered to target the values of Latino parents regarding sports participation policies.
The takeaway
The use of synthetic media in high-stakes elections is becoming a standard tool for campaigns to attempt to sway specific demographics. Voters should look for the mandatory AI disclaimers as campaigns experiment with increasingly personalized and fictionalized digital depictions.
Further reading
For broader trends in synthetic media, visit the Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Metro Weekly.
Live Poll
Should political campaigns be banned from using AI-generated content in their advertisements?
