Microsoft warns that China will disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India with AI-generated content, has it already been used in Taiwan's presidential election?



On April 4, 2024, the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) released a report stating that 'China plans to use AI-generated content to disrupt elections in the United States, South Korea, and India.' According to the report, China is using fake social media accounts to sow division among voters, and has already used AI-generated content to disrupt elections in

Taiwan's presidential election in January 2024.

China tests US voter fault lines and ramps AI content to boost its geopolitical interests - Microsoft On the Issues
https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2024/04/04/china-ai-influence-elections-mtac-cybersecurity/



China will use AI to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India, Microsoft warns | Technology | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/05/china-using-ai-disrupt-elections

Microsoft: China Uses AI to Sow Disinformation and Discord Around the World | TIME
https://time.com/6963787/china-influence-operations-artificial-intelligence-cyber-threats-microsoft/

MTAC reported in September 2023 that Chinese Communist Party-affiliated social media accounts were impersonating American voters in an attempt by the Chinese government to influence the 2022 US midterm elections . These accounts have continued to be active even after the midterm elections, posting about topics that divide the American public, such as global warming, border policy, drug use, immigration, and racial tensions.

The content posted by fake accounts affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party includes content copied from other prominent political accounts, as well as content generated by AI. For example, the image below was included in a post claiming that the massive wildfires that occurred in Hawaii in August 2023 were set up by the US government to test the power of weather weapons. This was posted by a group categorized by MTAC as 'Storm-1376,' and is not a real photo but an image generated by AI.



AI-generated content was also used in posts criticizing Japan, the United States, and

the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for releasing treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean .



According to MTAC, there has been an increase in 'poll' surveys posted by fake accounts in recent months, which is speculated to be an attempt to find topics that are more likely to divide American voters ahead of

the 2024 US presidential election .

Already, during the Taiwanese presidential election in January 2024, there was a sharp increase in election interference using AI-generated content by social media accounts affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party. MTAC stated, 'This was the first time we have seen a nation-state actor use AI-generated content to try to influence a foreign election.'

On the day of Taiwan's presidential election, Storm-1376 posted an audio clip of Terry Gou, founder of electronics manufacturer Foxconn and presidential candidate, supporting another candidate. The audio was generated by AI, and Gou never actually said the words. The audio was also posted on YouTube, but the content was removed before it reached many viewers.

They also spread AI-generated memes against William Lai , who ultimately won the presidential election.



MTAC said China will likely use AI-generated content to disrupt elections in 2024, as major elections will be held in India , South Korea and the United States. It warned that while it is unlikely that such content will have a decisive effect on the outcome of elections, attacks may become sophisticated enough to influence election results in the future.

in Software,   Web Service, Posted by log1h_ik