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One in Six French Voters Turned to AI in March Municipal Vote, Study Finds

The findings raise pressure for clear rules on how campaign AI is built, sourced, and policed before the 2027 race.

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L’IA, l'autre candidat de la présidentielle de 2027

Overview

  • The Terra Nova study, which came out Monday, found that 16% of voters used an AI tool to help choose in the March 15 municipal elections.
  • The study drew on a Toluna Harris Interactive poll of 4,145 voters in communes of 3,500 or more, conducted online on voting day.
  • Only 11% said they used generative AI for campaign information, far behind leaflets at 59% and official declarations at 57%.
  • Use skewed young and urban, with 35% of 18–24 year‑olds using AI versus 1% among those over 75, 22% in the Paris area versus 7% in rural zones, and 20% of men versus 10% of women.
  • AI shaped choices in different ways, with 7% saying it confirmed a prior pick, 5% reporting a change of mind, and 4% using it to decide when they were undecided.
  • Several parties are now weighing AI for campaign visuals, automated replies, message building, and program checks, and experts warn this could raise risks of deepfakes and foreign interference.