Being an informed citizen requires effort. Artificial intelligence offers a shortcut, but with risks.
Jeremiah Hain, a psychotherapist in Los Angeles, uses ChatGPT for small tasks. Recently, he used it to help with decisions in local elections.
Mia Taylor felt overwhelmed looking at her election ballot in Los Angeles County. To cope, she used a tool called Claude, an AI chatbot from Anthropic. She asked Claude for advice on whom to vote for.
Initially, Claude declined to answer due to its training to avoid political biases, similar to ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Taylor, a liberal Democrat, asked the AI for links to progressive groups and voting strategies. Claude provided resources, including voter guides and detailed race descriptions.
One key race was the mayoral contest. Taylor was concerned about stopping Spencer Pratt, a Republican candidate. Claude advised voting for Karen Bass, the incumbent, rather than Nithya Raman, a City Council member. Ultimately, Pratt lost, and Bass advanced with Raman to the general election.
The use of AI in elections is growing. The 2026 midterms might be the first where a significant number of voters rely on AI for guidance.
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