US officials have taken action against an AI-powered information operation run from Russia, targeting nearly 1,000 accounts pretending to be Americans. The accounts, designed to spread pro-Russia stories, were actually automated “bots” and not real people.
In court documents made public on Tuesday, the US justice department revealed that the operation was orchestrated by a deputy editor at Kremlin-owned RT, formerly known as Russia Today. RT, which runs TV channels in English and other languages, is more popular on social media than on traditional airwaves.
The justice department seized two websites used to issue emails associated with the bot accounts and ordered the release of information on 968 accounts believed to be bots. These accounts, created using artificial intelligence, spread pro-Russian narratives, particularly regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
FBI Director Christopher Wray stated, “Today’s actions represent a first in disrupting a Russian-sponsored generative AI-enhanced social media bot farm.” He added that Russia intended to use the bot farm to disseminate AI-generated foreign disinformation to undermine Ukraine and influence geopolitical narratives in favor of the Russian government.
The accounts have since been deleted, with screenshots showing they had very few followers. The court documents revealed that the “bot farm” was the brainchild of an RT deputy editor-in-chief and involved a Russian intelligence officer in an attempt to sow discord in the United States through misinformation.
While no criminal charges have been announced, the justice department’s investigation is ongoing. Nina Jankowicz, from the American Sunlight Project, noted that it was not surprising for a Russia-linked operation to use AI to create fake accounts, calling artificial intelligence a new tool in the disinformation arsenal.
The BBC reached out to RT, the Russian Foreign Ministry, and other involved parties for comment. A recent BBC investigation also uncovered a separate attempt to bolster a Russia-based disinformation network using fake news sites populated by stories rewritten by AI.
