U.S. intelligence officials have raised alarms about the increasing use of artificial intelligence AI by foreign actors, particularly Russia and Iran, to interfere with American elections.
According to an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence ODNI, AI is being employed to quickly and convincingly generate synthetic content across various media text, images, audio, and video.
Russia, in particular, has been the most active in producing AI-generated material that manipulates speeches and portrays U.S. political figures, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, in a negative light.
These efforts are part of a broader campaign to influence public opinion, boost former President Donald Trump’s candidacy, and sow division within the American electorate.
Intelligence officials have reported that Russia has altered videos of Vice President Harris, using AI to depict her unfavorably compared to her opponents.
This manipulation aligns with Russia’s more sophisticated understanding of U.S. elections and targeted influence operations.
While Russia focuses on undermining the Democratic Party, Iran, on the other hand, uses AI to support its goals of denigrating Trump’s candidacy.
Iran is also creating fake social media posts and articles that exploit divisive issues like immigration, further complicating the political landscape in the U.S.
China, meanwhile, has been generating pro-China propaganda through AI-created fake news anchors and social media content.
Despite these advances, the intelligence community views AI as an accelerant rather than a fully believable tool for influence operations.
Adversaries are also leveraging AI to interact with users in comment sections, contributing to a broader strategy of stoking division and undermining trust in democratic processes.
Given these developments, intelligence officials are closely monitoring potential threats leading up to the 2024 election, particularly in the context of possible delays or misinformation efforts similar to those seen in 2020.
The use of AI for robocalls and misinformation campaigns during the primaries has already resulted in legal action, and any foreign involvement in such tactics is a significant concern for the intelligence community.