Russia Leverages AI in Election Interference.

A woman walks in front of the Kremlin on September 23, 2024. Her presence is a stark reminder of the looming threat that hangs over the upcoming U.S. presidential election. U.S. intelligence officials have just revealed a chilling truth: Russia has embraced powerful artificial intelligence tools to manipulate American voters ahead of November.

Russia stands out as the most aggressive foreign actor using AI to generate content aimed at swaying the 2024 presidential election. This cutting-edge technology allows Russia, along with Iran, to rapidly create convincing, often divisive content designed to sway American voters. An official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained to reporters, "The [intelligence community] considers AI a malign influence accelerant, not yet a revolutionary influence tool." They emphasize that the threat lies in information operations, and AI acts as a powerful enabler.

Intelligence officials have previously seen AI used in elections abroad, but now they confirm its presence in the United States. Russian influence operations have spread synthetic images, videos, audio, and text online. This includes AI-generated content "of and about prominent U.S. figures" and material aimed at amplifying divisive issues like immigration. The goal, officials say, aligns with the Kremlin's broader strategy to boost former President Donald Trump, while simultaneously denigrating Vice President Kamala Harris.

However, Russia isn't solely relying on AI. The ODNI official revealed that Russian influence actors staged a video where a woman claimed to be a victim of a hit-and-run by Harris in 2011. There's no evidence to support this claim. Last week, Microsoft also confirmed Russia's involvement in this video, which was spread by a website masquerading as a nonexistent San Francisco TV station. Russia is also behind manipulated videos of Harris's speeches, possibly altered using editing tools or AI. These videos have been disseminated on social media and through other channels. "One of the efforts we see Russian influence actors do is, when they create this media, try to encourage its spread," the ODNI official explained.

The official stated that the videos of Harris have been manipulated in various ways, aiming to "paint her in a bad light both personally but also in comparison to her opponent" and to focus on issues Russia believes are divisive.