Microsoft’s threat intelligence team predicts that Beijing will increase its use of AI-generated disinformation campaigns to influence major elections in 2024.
Microsoft warned that Chinese state-backed cyber groups, possibly with help from North Korean actors, are expected to target the presidential and legislative elections in countries like the US, South Korea, and India. Their strategy will involve creating and spreading AI-generated content on social media platforms to favor their positions in these elections.
According to Microsoft, while the impact of such content on influencing audiences is currently low, China’s ongoing experimentation with AI in generating memes, videos, and audio could prove effective in the future. The company highlighted China’s recent use of AI-synthesized disinformation during Taiwan’s presidential election in January as a concerning precedent.
China’s tactics in Taiwan included the dissemination of fake audio clips, likely AI-generated, portraying a former presidential candidate endorsing a rival, as well as AI-generated memes making baseless corruption allegations against the winning candidate, William Lai. Additionally, AI-rendered “news anchors” were used to spread disinformation about Lai’s personal life.
As elections approach in India, South Korea, and the US, Microsoft anticipates that Chinese and North Korean cyber actors will focus on influencing these democratic processes. The report also mentions Chinese groups mapping divisive issues and voting demographics in the US through coordinated social media campaigns, possibly to gather intelligence ahead of the US Presidential election.
While acknowledging the limited success of AI-enabled disinformation in shaping public opinion globally, Microsoft cautioned that Beijing’s growing investment in and sophistication with AI technology pose an increasing threat to the integrity of democratic elections worldwide.
(Photo by Element5 Digital)
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