AI Vs Handmade Campaigns

At the 88th session of American Legion Buckeye Boys State (ALBBS), delegates are using various methods to create campaign materials. Some candidates are turning to artificial intelligence, while others prefer to design their materials themselves. The growing use of AI has sparked discussion about creativity and technology in campaigning.

Dylan Davis, who is running for the Favreau House of Representatives, chose not to use AI when creating his campaign materials, even though he believes the technology can be helpful.

Davis said, “I support AI and think it is a great tool, but I chose not to use it because I have a creative mindset.” Instead, he used Canva to design his poster and spent about 15 to 30 minutes creating it.

Davis stated creativity played a major role in his decision to make the materials himself.
He believes that “personal creativity is the most important part because it helps sell your ideas.”

He also said he did not feel pressure to use AI, even though other candidates were.

According to Davis, delegates responded positively to his campaign materials. He said people on his floor liked the design and gave him positive feedback.

While he preferred creating his own campaign materials, Davis still sees value in artificial intelligence. Looking ahead, he said, “I think AI is useful and we’re getting more towards using it.”

Triovont’ias Ladd, who is running for DeWeese County sheriff, took a different approach to his campaign materials. Only including a picture of his face, Ladd used AI to create the entire poster. He said he wanted to create something memorable for delegates who spend time on social media.

He explained, “I still wanted to be creative, so I used that AI to be funny and to catch people’s attention.”

Ladd used ChatGPT to create his online campaign content and said the process was simple. “It saved me a bunch of time,” he stated, estimating that most of his AI-generated posters took only about 15 minutes to create. While AI helped with his social media campaign, Ladd said he still campaigned in person and created his own posters and other materials.

Ladd believes AI gave him an advantage because it helped more delegates recognize his campaign. He said many people remembered his advertisements and campaign messaging because of the AI-generated content.

While the two delegates used different methods, both of them agreed that creativity remains an important part of campaigning. Their experiences show that whether campaign materials are created by hand or with artificial intelligence, success still depends on the candidate’s ability to connect with voters through creativity and effective communication.