Russia leads AI manipulation in US elections, says Intel office
Russia is responsible for the largest amount of content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of the US presidential elections, a representative of the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) reported during a Monday briefing. According to US intelligence services, Moscow utilizes AI technologies to support Donald Trump's campaign and damage Kamala Harris's image.
6:12 AM EDT, September 24, 2024
According to data presented during the Monday briefing, Russia is currently the leader in using artificial intelligence to manipulate public opinion on social media, aiming to influence the election results in the United States.
The ODNI representative highlighted that"Russia uses AI to create content in all media—texts, images, audio, and video, allowing for the widespread dissemination of pro-Russian narratives on the internet. Bots and fake social media accounts support this process.
This aligns with broader Russian efforts to support the former president's candidacy and disparage the vice president and the Democratic Party, including through conspiracy narratives, said the ODNI official.
He noted, however, that AI is not yet a "revolutionary influence tool" due to technological limitations that sometimes make it easier to detect algorithm-generated content. Nevertheless, these capabilities may develop, especially with the creation of more advanced AI models and a strategic approach to selecting target audience groups.
Example of Russian manipulation
Specific examples of disinformation were also discussed during the briefing, including a video involving actors hired by Russian services. The video depicted a victim of an alleged car accident that supposedly occurred in 2011, in which, according to false information, Kamala Harris allegedly hit a 13-year-old girl.
This material was not created using AI, but with actors, and its production was linked to a fictional local TV station in San Francisco, created by Russians, informs the intelligence representative.
Other countries are also trying to influence the elections
The ODNI representative pointed out that besides Russia, other countries, such as China and Iran, are also attempting to influence the US elections. China's operations highlight social divisions and promote a positive image of their own country. Meanwhile, Iran uses AI to create fake news portals and social media content that resemble real information sources.
The above information reveals that foreign countries, especially Russia, are increasingly investing in the development and use of artificial intelligence as a political influence tool. Although AI is not yet perfect, its future potential could pose a challenge to democratic electoral processes in the US and worldwide.
