- Wednesday, May 08, 2024
China is using fake social media accounts to poll voters on what divides them most to sow division, it was said.
By: Shubham Ghosh
TECH giant Microsoft has issued a warning that China may use Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated content on social media platforms to influence public opinion and advance its geopolitical goals during upcoming elections in democracies such as India, South Korea, and the US.
India is scheduled to conduct voting for 543 constituencies of its popularly elected Lower House of the parliament between April 19 and June 4, spanning seven phases. South Korea is set to hold a general election on April 10, while the US presidential election is scheduled for November 5.
“With major elections taking place around the world this year, particularly in India, South Korea and the United States, we assess that China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content to benefit its interests,” Clint Watts, general manager, Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC), said in a blog post.
Read: Must protect world against weaponisation of artificial intelligence: Narendra Modi
Although the likelihood of such content significantly impacting election outcomes remains minimal, the ongoing experimentation by China in enhancing memes, videos, and audio content is likely to persist and could potentially become more impactful in the future, according to him.
Read: Indian parties use deepfake videos of dead leaders ahead of elections: ‘A huge risk’
China will do it along with North Korea, which is also opposed to countries such as South Korea and the US, it was learnt.
These are among the Microsoft Threat Intelligence insights in the latest East Asia report published on Wednesday (3) by the MTAC.
China is using fake social media accounts to poll voters on what divides them most to sow division and possibly influence the outcome of the US presidential election in its favour.
China has also increased its use of AI-generated content to further its goals around the world.
North Korea has increased its cryptocurrency heists and supply chain attacks to fund and further its military goals and intelligence collection. It has also begun to use AI to make its operations more effective and efficient.
Beijing will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in October, and North Korea will continue to push forward key advanced weapons programmes, the report said.
“Meanwhile, as populations in India, South Korea, and the United States head to the polls, we are likely to see Chinese cyber and influence actors, and to some extent, North Korean cyber actors, work toward targeting these elections,” it said.
China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content that benefits its positions in these high-profile elections, it said.
“While Chinese cyber actors have long conducted reconnaissance of US political institutions, we are prepared to see influence actors interact with Americans for engagement and to potentially research perspectives on US politics,” the report said.
“Finally, as North Korea embarks upon new government policies and pursues ambitious plans for weapons testing, we can expect increasingly sophisticated cryptocurrency heists and supply chain attacks targeted at the defence sector, serving to both funnel money into the regime and facilitate the development of new military capabilities,” it added.
Microsoft’s revelation comes just days after its co-founder Bill Gates met Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and spoke over use of AI for social causes, women-led development and innovation in health and agriculture.
(With PTI inputs)
