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Education·The Trace·Automated dual reading·Published 2026-07-13

VGenAI use by German parties in 2025 federal election and its effect on competitive benefits and engagement asymmetries

Source article: Party Equalization or Normalization Through Visual Generative AI in the 2025 German Federal Election

This study examines whether visual generative artificial intelligence (VGenAI) serves as an equalizing force for minor parties or reinforces existing power asymmetries in political communication. Drawing on equalization and normalization theory, we investigate party differences in VGenAI adoption, content strategies, and user engagement during the 2025 German federal election. Using a semi-automated AI detection method combining automated classification with manual validation, we analyzed Facebook and Instagram…

TRV-2026-0109Peer-reviewedPermanent record — cite & verify
Trace impact reading

Contested: both sides are scored from claims and sources, not community votes.

P 69The P score combines the specificity and measured human impact of the grounded problem claim with the strength of this Trace’s cited sources.G 69The G score combines the specificity and measured human impact of the grounded gain claim with the strength of this Trace’s cited sources.
Party Equalization or Normalization Through Visual Generative AI in the 2025 German Federal Election

"IMAGE 1 Chairman Xi Announces To World Party Leaders His Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) - March 15, 2023_Pattberg Library" by IDT Institute (c) 4021 is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.

The quick read

During the four weeks before the 2025 German federal election, 37 parties' Facebook and Instagram accounts published nearly 1,000 VGenAI images and videos. Minor parties used VGenAI at higher rates than major parties, consistent with lower-cost access to professional visuals, while mainstream major parties disclosed AI origins more frequently than minor parties and the AfD, which used more photorealistic, citizen, criminal, and negative-tone imagery.

VGenAI posts were associated with higher user engagement than non-AI posts, but that advantage accrued equally to major and minor parties rather than providing resource-constrained actors with competitive benefits, leaving engagement asymmetries intact. This suggests equalization in production access alongside normalization in audience attention.

Main points
  • Analysis covered Facebook and Instagram posts from 37 German parties during the four weeks preceding election day
  • Researchers identified nearly 1,000 VGenAI images and videos published by approximately 400 party accounts using semi-automated detection with manual validation
  • Mainstream major parties disclosed AI origins more frequently than minor parties or the AfD, indicating a transparency divide
  • The AfD was the only major party to make extensive use of photorealistic imagery, citizen depictions, criminal portrayals, and negative tone
Gain

Minor parties adopted visual generative AI at higher rates than major parties during the 2025 German federal election, gaining broader access to professional campaign visual production.

Problem

VGenAI content did not provide resource-constrained minor parties with competitive engagement benefits, leaving engagement asymmetries between major and minor parties intact.

The rundown

Researchers analyzed Facebook and Instagram posts from 37 German parties in the four weeks before the 2025 federal election, using semi-automated AI detection with manual validation to identify nearly 1,000 VGenAI images and videos from about 400 accounts. They compared adoption rates, content strategies including disclosure and depiction choices, and user engagement between major and minor parties.

The study matters because it tests whether low-cost visual generative AI equalizes campaign capacity or normalizes existing power structures. It finds broader access to professional visuals for minor parties but no competitive engagement gain, and a transparency divide in disclosure, with the AfD's distinct use of photorealistic and negative imagery. Uncertainty remains about causal effects on votes, longer-term platform effects, and generalizability beyond this election and platforms.

What this doesn’t fix

Engagement advantage of VGenAI content accrued equally to major and minor parties, so findings do not show a measured reduction in engagement inequality

Sources

The debate