AI has a language gap. That could be a problem for some voters.

AI has a language gap. That could be a problem for some voters. - POLITICO

Skip to Main Content

* + Europe
+ Pro
+ AgencyIQ

Press Escape to close the menu.

WASHINGTON & POLITICS

WASHINGTON & POLITICS 6 items

* 1st itemCongress
* 2nd itemWhite House
* 3rd itemSupreme Court and Legal Issues
* 4th itemMagazine
* 5th item2026 Elections
* 6th itemLatest on POLITICO

STATE POLITICS & POLICY

STATE POLITICS & POLICY 4 items

* 1st itemCalifornia
* 2nd itemFlorida
* 3rd itemNew Jersey
* 4th itemNew York

GLOBAL POLITICS & POLICY

GLOBAL POLITICS & POLICY 7 items

* 1st itemBrussels
* 2nd itemCanada
* 3rd itemUnited Kingdom
* 4th itemFrance
* 5th itemGermany
* 6th itemAustralia
* 7th itemSpain

POLICY NEWS

POLICY NEWS 11 items

* 1st itemFood and Agriculture
* 2nd itemCybersecurity
* 3rd itemDefense
* 4th itemEducation
* 5th itemEnergy and Climate
* 6th itemTax, Finance and the Economy
* 7th itemHealth Care
* 8th itemLabor
* 9th itemTech
* 10th itemTrade
* 11th itemTransportation

NEWSLETTERS

NEWSLETTERS 6 items

* 1st itemPlaybook
* 2nd itemWest Wing Playbook
* 3rd itemInside Congress
* 4th itemPOLITICO Forecast
* 5th itemPOLITICO Magazine
* 6th itemAll Newsletters

COLUMNISTS

COLUMNISTS 7 items

* 1st itemAlex Burns
* 2nd itemVictoria Guida
* 3rd itemJohn Harris
* 4th itemDebra Kahn
* 5th itemJonathan Martin
* 6th itemNahal Toosi
* 7th itemAll Columnists

SERIES & MORE

SERIES & MORE 7 items

* 1st itemInside Congress Live
* 2nd itemBreaking News Alerts
* 3rd itemPodcasts
* 4th itemVideo
* 5th itemMatt Wuerker Cartoons
* 6th itemCartoon Carousel
* 7th itemThe POLITICO Poll

POLITICO Live

POLITICO Live 1 item

* 1st itemEvents

Follow us

* X
* Instagram
* Facebook
* LinkedIn

* My Account
* Log In

AI has a language gap. That could be a problem for some voters.

AI models underperform in non-English languages, which national organizations and experts say unintentionally disenfranchises communities using AI for election information.

!A child looks back while sitting in a voting booth.

*Leading AI companies say they are working to better provide election-related information to a wider swath of voters. | Lindsey Wasson/AP*

By Ashley Ahn

10/25/2026 4:00 PM EDT

AI chatbots are feeding non-native English speakers inaccurate information about the election, community activists and researchers warn, creating a barrier for some voters ahead of the midterms.

The challenge — which leading AI companies say they’re working to address — is distinct from intentional disinformation campaigns that have plagued the internet for decades. Instead, some researchers and community leaders warn that voters prompting chatbots in non-English languages are unintentionally being fed inaccurate and ambiguous information — like whether they can vote by mail in their state — or overly literal translations that confuse electoral terms and lack context in various languages’ unique dialects.

But the end result, the activists said, could still be the same: Voters whose native language is not English are more vulnerable to incorrect information and excluded from the most reliable answers ahead of the midterms.

“Latino communities cannot afford to be left behind as artificial intelligence transforms how people work, learn, communicate and access information,” said Héctor Sánchez Barba, the president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota. “The history of the immigrant community and the Latino community has been one where we have been historically and structurally excluded from the best technology and access to information.”

* Technology
* 2026 Elections
* AI
* Artificial Intelligence
* OpenAI
* Anthropic
* Google

POLITICO Forecast

Global power is in flux. Your daily guide to what comes next.

* About Us
* Advertising
* Breaking News Alerts
* Careers
* Credit Card Payments
* FAQ
* Feedback
* Headlines
* Photos
* Press
* Editorial Standards
* Magazine
* RSS
* Site Map
+ Terms of Service
+ POLITICO Privacy Notice
+ Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information and Opt Out of Targeted Advertising

---

© 2026 POLITICO LLC