AI predicts which state could decide the next US presidential election

The race for the White House could come down to just a handful of states in 2028, with some carrying far more weight than others when Americans head to the polls.

The next US presidential election might feel a long way off, but speculation is already mounting over who could end up in the White House in 2028.

President Trump has repeatedly suggested he could seek a third term, despite the 22nd Amendment explicitly prohibiting anyone from being elected president more than twice.

But while it remains to be seen what the political landscape will look like by then, one thing is certain: the battle for the White House could come down to a handful of key states.

And now, AI has predicted which state could prove decisive, with two others also on the watchlist.

Pennsylvania is the state to watch, according the ChatGPT, for a number of reasons.

The chat bot states: "It has 19 electoral votes, the largest total among the core battleground states for 2028.

The president has claimed he would run for office again in 2028. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

"Donald Trump won Pennsylvania by approximately 1.7 percentage points in 2024, but the state is a mix of urban, suburban and rural voters, which makes it a useful region to examine when exploring shifts in voting behaviour."

Pennsylvania is a swing state - and current polling is close, rather than firmly Democrat or Republican.

Trump has visited the state several times during his second term, with his most recent trip taking place in July, when he attended a defence and technology summit at the US Army War College in Carlisle.

But it's not the only state on the watchlist.

Michigan is also noted to be important ahead of the 2028 election, given its mix of industrial communities, suburbs and the Detroit metropolitan area.

ChatGPT noted that it 'makes shifts in turnout and voter preferences important'.

Pennsylvania has been branded the deciding state by AI. (Getty Stock Images)

Trump won it by 1.4 percentage points in 2024, but Biden won it in 2020.

The AI bot claims: "Population growth around Atlanta and changing voting patterns have helped make it competitive in recent presidential elections."

Biden narrowly won Georgia in 2020, by fewer than 12,000 votes, but Trump won the state over by 2.2 percentage points in 2024.

The 2026 US midterm elections could offer an early indication of the political landscape ahead of the 2028 presidential race, as voters decide whether Republicans retain control of Congress or Democrats make significant gains.

Of course, midterms are often seen as a referendum on the sitting president, with the results reflecting public opinion on the administration's performance, policies and leadership.