AI, elections and online misinformation
New research from Demos and Opinium explores public experiences of AI-generated political content during the 2026 local and devolved elections, including exposure to political deepfakes and the use of AI chatbots for election information. The findings highlight growing public concern around misinformation, trust in online content, and the impact of emerging technologies on democratic processes.
The research received national media coverage, including reporting in The Guardian, The Independent and LocalGov.co.uk.
Download the UK, Scotland and Wales data tables.
Research methodology
Opinium conducted an online survey of 2,005 UK adults aged 18+ between 30th April and 6th May 2026. Results were weighted to be nationally and politically representative of the UK population. Additional sample boosts were included to achieve samples of 1,000 respondents in both Wales and Scotland.