More than one in 10 voters aged under 25 used AI systems, including ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Claude, to inform their choice of vote in this month’s Scottish Parliamentary election, new research has found.
The study by University of Strathclyde researchers discovered that 16% of 16-24 year-olds and 25% of 25-34 year-olds said they had used generative AI tools often or very often for information about the 7 May election and the preceding campaign.
Fact-check
Around 10% of respondents used AI to research party policies, candidates or leaders, or to fact-check political claims. Overall, 7% of respondents, rising to 13% of 16-24 year-olds, reported using an AI chatbot to help them decide who to vote for.
The study – by Dr Louise Luxton, Dr Timea Balogh, Elise Frelin and Professor Zoe Green, from the University’s Department of Government and Public Policy – forms part of a major post-election report composed of more than 50 chapters, examining a range of aspects of the Holyrood campaign, voters, media and representation.
It is one of the nine chapters which Strathclyde researchers have contributed to the report, which is the first edition of a series dedicated specifically to a Scottish Parliament election.
Professor Thomas Scotto, Head of the Department of Government and Public Policy, said:
This report makes clear not only the political significance of this election but also the increasing impact of the technological landscape in shaping information, ideas and attitudes.
“The strong Strathclyde presence in this report reflects the distinctive contribution our faculty makes to understanding democratic life in Scotland and beyond.
“From AI and computational social science to representation, media analysis and electoral behaviour, our academics are producing research that speaks directly to the challenges facing democratic politics today.”
Strathclyde’s Journalism, Media and Communication researchers also feature prominently in the report. Dr Dayei Oh and Dr Chamil Rathnayake analysed TikTok’s “For You Page” recommendations during the election, contributing to the report’s section on news, media and journalism.
Dr Fiona McKay and Dr Melody House examined gendered media framing in their contribution, “All right, own up, who let the woman in?” and Dr Michael Higgins and Professor Angela Smith assessed how party leaders were positioned in election manifestos.
The report also includes contributions on representation from Strathclyde academics and researchers. Professor Stefanie Reher, Professor of Political Science, examined disability representation in the Scottish Parliament and PhD researcher Shevaun Smith explored the class and gender profile of MSPs elected to Holyrood in 2026.
Other Strathclyde chapters are: News consumption in Scotland (Dr Camila Mont’Alverne); The electoral system: The most disproportional result yet (Professor Sir John Curtice), and The SNP: Hegemony in a time of crisis? (Dr Sebastian Dellepiane-Avellaneda and Professor Anthony McGann).
Fragmented parliament
The report notes that the 2026 election produced a highly fragmented parliament, with the SNP remaining the largest party, Reform UK and Labour tied for second place, the Scottish Greens achieving their best-ever performance, and 64 newly elected MSPs entering Holyrood.
It concludes that the election may represent a moment of genuine political transition in Scotland, with the new parliament facing major questions around party competition, democratic representation, public services, fiscal pressures, climate policy, immigration and the constitutional future.
Scottish Parliament Election Analysis 2026: The Campaign, Voters and Policies, has been published via Election Analysis and edited by academics at the University of Glasgow.