AI deepfakes fuel Russia’s online disinformation war

Artificial intelligence–generated videos are rapidly intensifying Russia-linked disinformation campaigns online, raising alarm among security experts who warn the technology could reshape political influence across Europe and beyond.

Concerns about AI-driven propaganda grew after a deepfake video featuring Alan Read began circulating on social media. In the clip, a synthetic version of the professor appears to deliver a political rant criticising Emmanuel Macron and European leaders, describing them as being “aboard the Titanic which has ‘European Union’ written on its hull.”

Read, a theatre professor with no involvement in politics, said the video was deeply unsettling. He explained that the speech and views presented in the clip were completely foreign to him.

Researchers say the deepfake was part of a broader surge in Russia-linked synthetic media designed to influence political narratives in the West. According to Chris Kremidas-Courtney, artificial intelligence has dramatically changed how influence campaigns operate, allowing persuasive content to be generated “at scale, for pennies.”

Many of the videos target Western institutions or accuse the Ukrainian government of corruption as Kyiv continues to seek international funding while fighting Russia’s invasion.

The rise in synthetic propaganda comes after OpenAI released its advanced video generator Sora2. While OpenAI places safeguards such as watermarks and restrictions on generating videos of real individuals, smaller competing apps often remove these limits to attract users.

According to Russian AI expert Arman Tuganbaev, these “second-tier apps” make it easier to create videos impersonating real people.

Several recent campaigns have already sparked international concern. In December, AI-generated videos on TikTok showed young Polish women calling for “Polexit,” or Poland leaving the European Union. Polish officials accused Russia of orchestrating the clips and requested an investigation by the European Commission.

Security researchers say many of these videos originate from coordinated networks connected to the Kremlin. One campaign, known as Matryoshka or Operation Overload, allegedly used layers of reposted content from hacked or dormant accounts to amplify false narratives online.

Experts warn that the speed of viral misinformation is staggering. Researchers at Clemson University found that one network spreading false corruption claims about Volodymyr Zelensky managed to dominate about 7.5% of discussions about him on X within a week.

With elections approaching in several countries, regulators and lawmakers fear AI-generated propaganda could become a major tool in geopolitical information warfare.

Key Takeaways

• AI-generated deepfake videos are increasingly used in Russia-linked disinformation campaigns online.

• Security experts warn cheap, scalable AI tools could revolutionize political influence operations.

• Viral deepfake content has already targeted EU politics and Ukraine-related narratives.

Original Source: BBC News – https://www.bbc.com/news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2r7grrdwzo