
The U.S. Department of Justice says it has shut down a Russian operation that used artificial intelligence-enhanced fake social media accounts to covertly spread pro-Kremlin messages in the U.S. and abroad.
The US Department of Justice has received court approval to seize two domain names and inspect nearly 1,000 social media accounts linked to the Russian operation. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the action stopped a Russian government-backed propaganda campaign that used artificial intelligence to run a bot farm to spread disinformation.
The operation was organized by a private intelligence organization from Russia, which included Russian intelligence officers and an employee of the government-funded RT agency. According to prosecutors, the operation was approved by the Kremlin in early 2023. Social media accounts posted pro-Kremlin theses, including videos featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticism of the Ukrainian government. The US cooperated with Dutch authorities in the investigation, and the campaign was run from a server in the Netherlands.
This is the first time the US has publicly accused a foreign government of using generative AI in influence operations. US officials have warned that adversaries could use the power of AI to spread disinformation.
The U.S. is closely monitoring foreign adversaries’ attempts to influence elections through hacking attacks and covert attempts to influence social media. The US Department of Justice is working to stop such schemes and protect the election process.