U.S. says Russian bot farm used AI to impersonate Americans
The U.S. Department of Justice said it disrupted a Russian propaganda campaign using fake social media accounts, powered by artificial intelligence, to spread disinformation in the U.S. and other countries.
The bot farm used AI to create profiles impersonating Americans on X, formerly known as Twitter, and to post support for Russia’s war in Ukraine and other pro-Kremlin narratives.
It was part of a Kremlin-approved and funded project run by a Russian intelligence officer. The bot farm itself and the AI software behind it were organized by an unnamed editor at RT, the Russian state-owned media outlet, the Justice Department alleged.
Intelligence and security officials have been warning that Russia is ramping up propaganda efforts in a busy global election year, with the goals of undermining international support for Ukraine and discrediting democratic adversaries. The Kremlin has long used fake social media accounts to sow discord and advance its own interests.
Now, advancements in AI technology that allow people to quickly and easily generate realistic text, images, audio and video are raising concerns that the tools can be used to produce more propaganda and disinformation at scale. Recently Facebook owner Meta and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, said they have identified foreign influence campaigns, including some linked to Russia, using AI in their efforts to manipulate the public.
Source: NPR