Microsoft has unveiled a report indicating China’s potential use of AI-generated media to sway elections in East Asia and the United States. The report, compiled by Microsoft Threat Intelligence, sheds light on the creation and dissemination of AI-crafted memes, videos, and audio by Chinese propaganda entities designed to incite outrage and manipulate electoral outcomes in East Asia.
The document further exposes the activities of Chinese-government-affiliated social media accounts that distribute AI-generated content to create turmoil in the U.S. Specifically, it points to an AI-generated image that falsely attributed the 2023 Hawaii fires to a U.S.-developed “weather weapon” and another instance aiming to foster distrust in the government following a train derailment in Kentucky. These accounts have also probed social media users on their presidential candidate preferences, hinting at an agenda to enhance intelligence on key U.S. voting demographics.
While the current threat level is deemed low, Microsoft warns of the potential effectiveness of such tactics in future. This revelation follows a threat assessment by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, underscoring China’s strategic aim to challenge U.S. leadership, destabilize democracy, and expand its influence globally. Both Microsoft and the U.S. government have identified “Spamouflage” or “Storm-1376” as a key component of these influence operations, drawing parallels to Russia’s disinformation campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Additionally, it’s noted that the Trump administration had engaged in efforts to counteract the Chinese government through similar online campaigns.