Open University Launches Dashboard Tracking AI Use in Israeli Election Campaigns

Researchers at Israel's Open University have introduced a public dashboard called "It's in AI" that monitors in real time the use of artificial intelligence in political campaign content. The platform tracks AI-generated or AI-edited images, videos, voices, and texts posted by parties and candidates on social media ahead of the 2026 elections. According to the dashboard, the Likud party leads with nearly 900 AI-related items, accounting for 71% of all identified AI content, coinciding with its ongoing primaries.

The initiative, led by Prof. Anat Ben-David from the university's sociology, political science, and communication department, aims to provide transparency without passing normative judgment on AI use in campaigns. The project follows a surge in AI content in Israeli politics, including a controversial AI-generated video released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud targeting Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the "Yashar" party. Other politicians, such as Defense Minister Israel Katz and Amir Ohana, have also used AI in campaign materials.

New regulations effective from July 26 require clear labeling of AI-generated or edited political content to combat misinformation and uphold election integrity. The dashboard uses technology from Israeli company Bright Data to scan social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok, analyzing over 9,500 posts to date, with 1,239 confirmed AI items. Content is evaluated through multiple detection methods and human review to ensure accuracy.

The dashboard allows users to filter by party, candidate, platform, and media type, showing that after Likud, the Democratic Party, Yisrael Beiteinu, Yashar, and others have smaller shares of AI content. Among Likud politicians, Ariel Kallner leads with 194 AI items, while Netanyahu ranks 16th with 20. The system does not yet provide a full ranking of individual politicians but plans to expand.

Prof. Ben-David emphasizes that regulation alone is insufficient and calls for active digital citizenship, encouraging voters to critically assess political content. The project is funded by the Meir Shamgar Center for Digital Law and Innovation and the Edmond J. and Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Tel Aviv University, with support from Bright Data. The research team includes seven members and aims to maintain academic independence while monitoring all parties and candidates equally.

Summary: Researchers at Israel's Open University launched a public dashboard tracking AI-generated political content in real time, revealing Likud's dominance in AI use ahead of the 2026 elections. The tool supports transparency amid new regulations requiring AI content labeling and encourages voter awareness and critical evaluation of digital campaign materials.