In the week before May’s Scottish Parliament election, Survation conducted a survey for researchers at the University of Strathclyde’s ParlView Project, part of a wider study into how voters were using AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude to engage with the election. The findings, now published in the Scottish Parliament Election Analysis 2026 report, make for fascinating reading.

Most people aren’t using AI for election information, but younger voters are a different story.

71% said they had never used an AI chatbot to find out about the election or campaign. Among over-65s, that figure was close to 90%, with older Scots sticking to TV, radio, and conversations with family and friends.

But zoom in on younger age groups and around a quarter of 25-34 year olds said they used generative AI tools often or very often for election information. And 7%, rising to 13% of 16-24 year olds, said they had used an AI chatbot to help them decide who to vote for.

Why are some people turning to AI?

The appeal seems to be largely practical. Among those who did use AI for political information, 44% said they did so because it’s faster than other sources, and 36% because it’s easier to use. Perhaps most striking, nearly a quarter consider AI to be more reliable and less biased than other sources.

Do they actually trust what AI tells them?

Not entirely. Only 13% consider AI-generated political information to be completely or very accurate, and 40% agreed it was biased towards certain viewpoints or misrepresents particular groups or ideas. Interestingly, scepticism is higher among the heavier users. 16-24 and 25-34 year olds were the most likely both to use these tools and to believe they were biased, suggesting heavier usage also brings with it a stronger understanding of the tools’ limitations.

Why this matters

The 2026 Holyrood election has given us a first clear look at AI as part of the electoral information mix. A large share of younger voters are already reaching for these tools when deciding how to cast their ballot, even while questioning whether the answers they get can be trusted. For anyone trying to understand how political attitudes are formed and how campaigns can reach new audiences, that tension is well worth taking seriously.

At Survation, we’re proud to have assisted Strathclyde with this important research. If you’re working on a project that sits at the intersection of public opinion and emerging technology, we’d be very happy to help.

GET THE DATA

Survation conducted an online poll of 1042 Scots aged 16+ between 24th – 30th April 2026. Tables are available here.  

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