Flags of China and the United States/Reuters
A new study published by Microsoft reveals that Chinese political influencers have begun using artificial intelligence (AI) to stir up controversy in countries such as the United States and Taiwan. According to the report, the Chinese campaigns make use of technology mainly to create visual content designed to stir up conflict ahead of the election period. An example of this is voice clips created using artificial intelligence in which a candidate for the presidency of Taiwan is falsely presented. The clips were posted on social media in an attempt to sway voters in favor of Beijing's preferred candidate.
Although YouTube quickly removed the content before it could reach a broad user base, the case highlights the ability of governments to produce fake content on almost any topic. "This is the first time Microsoft's threat intelligence unit has come across a country using artificial intelligence content to try and influence a foreign election," the researchers noted.
China wants to ignite internal disputes in the countries of the United States/Reuters
The same Chinese group also created a series of new content featuring AI-generated news anchors, and used other AI-generated videos to harass Canadian politicians last year. The fake content is promoted through a network of 175 sites in more than 58 languages and often deals with prominent geopolitical events – especially those that portray the United States in a negative light.
Examples of fake news include false claims that American weapons caused the wildfires in Hawaii, or lies about Japan's secret plan to dump radioactive waste in the Pacific Ocean. In addition, the network tried to promote delusional conspiracy theories surrounding a train accident in Kentucky last Thanksgiving. Microsoft also disclosed that it had detected fake social media accounts, affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party, that were impersonating American voters and responding to news stories to create controversy.
More in Walla!
Virtual reality therapy: a treatment for coping with anxiety
In collaboration with zap doctors
In addition, alongside China's attempts to use creative artificial intelligence and large language models, North Korean officials have been observed using these tools to improve their attacks on a variety of targets. Microsoft said most of North Korea's focus continues to be on cryptocurrency companies and conducting attacks on its software supply chain to fund its weapons program.
"Of particular concern, Microsoft and OpenAI have discovered that a North Korean entity known as 'Emerald Sleet' is using tools powered by large language models to make its operations more efficient and successful," the company said.
More on the same topic:
Microsoft
China
North Korea