Microsoft’s threat intelligence team says Beijing needs to step up AI-generated disinformation campaigns to influence multiple elections in 2024.
Microsoft has warned that state-backed Chinese cyber groups could target presidential and legislative elections in countries such as the United States, South Korea and India this year with the help of North Korean actors. Their main strategy should be to create and publish AI-generated content on social media to “like their work” in these competitions.
– While the content impact of the Swing audience is still low, China’s growing experiment in developing memes, video and audio will continue and may prove successful,” Microsoft said in its
statement. The report was published on Friday.
The company cited China’s “rehearsal” of intelligence-derived misinformation during the January presidential election in Taiwan as a harbinger of the real threat. Microsoft observed that a pro-Beijing group called “Storm 1376” or “Spamouflage Dragon” was the first to use AI content designed to influence foreign votes.
Tactics used by Chinese-backed officials include broadcasting fake audio, possibly “intelligence-made,” of the president endorsing a candidate, and posting memes denouncing the latter’s supporters as intellectuals who are not accused of corruption. Sovereign Candidate William Lai. The group also created artificially created “newscasters” to spread misinformation about Lai’s personal life.
– As people go to the polls in India, South Korea and the United States, we will see Chinese cyber and influence actors and some North Korean cyber actors working to focus on these elections.”
The company added that Chinese groups are already trying to organize separate issues and votes in the US through social media, perhaps “smart and accurate voter turnout is critical ahead of the US elections to gather talent.”
Speaking of danger, Microsoft acknowledges that AI-generated misinformation has so far made limited progress in establishing a global perspective. But he warned that Beijing’s growing investments and increasing use of technology pose a threat to the integrity of free elections around the world.
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