China’s Plans to Disrupt Elections with AI-Generated Disinformation: An Insight by Microsoft
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Beijing is expected to ramp up sophisticated AI-generated disinformation campaigns to influence several high-profile elections in 2024, according to Microsoft’s threat intelligence team.
Microsoft warned that state-backed Chinese cyber groups – with assistance from North Korean actors – “are likely to target” the presidential and legislative elections in countries such as the US, South Korea, and India this year. Their primary tactic is projected to be the creation and dissemination on social media of AI-generated content skewed to “benefit their positions” in these races.
“While the impact of such content in swaying audiences remains low, China’s increasing experimentation in augmenting memes, videos, and audio will continue – and may prove effective down the line,” Microsoft cautioned in the report released Friday.
The business referred to China’s recent “dry run” employing AI-synthesised disinformation during Taiwan’s January presidential election as an indicator of this rising threat. It was evaluated by Microsoft that a pro-Beijing organization identified as Storm 1376 or Spamouflage Dragon executed the first recorded endeavor by a state player to impact a foreign vote applying AI-generated content.
The methods employed by the Chinese-endorsed agents included publishing counterfeit audio clips likely “produced by AI” that portrayed a prior presidential candidate promoting a competitor, as well as AI-generated memes directing baseless corruption accusations against the ultimately triumphant pro-sovereignty candidate William Lai. This group also developed AI-created “news anchors” to broadcast misinformation about Lai’s private life.
“As the populace in India, South Korea, and the United States head to vote, we are likely to observe Chinese cyber and influence players, and to a certain degree North Korean cyber players, targeting these elections,” stated the Microsoft report.
The business included that Chinese groups are presently making an effort to draw divisive issues and voting blocs in the US via planned social media movement, possibly “to collect data and precision on key voting demographics leading up to the US Presidential election.”
Microsoft pointed out the potential dangers, mentioning that AI-aided misinformation has only had limited influence on global public opinion to this point. However, it also warned about the escalating threat to the integrity of democratic elections worldwide due to Beijing’s growing investments and increasing sophistication in the technology.
Image credit: Element5 Digital
Related reading: How to protect your business from AI-produced deepfakes
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Tags: ai, China, deepfakes, democracy, disinformation, elections, india, misinformation, north korea, south korea, usa, voting
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