The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has released an assessment stating that artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a significant role in improving influence operations from Russia and Iran targeting the upcoming US elections in November. Contrary to popular belief, the ODNI considers AI as a 'malign influence accelerant' rather than a revolutionary tool in these operations.
While there has been media and industry hype surrounding AI-related threats, the ODNI emphasizes that foreign actors are still behind in utilizing AI technology to its full potential for influencing US elections. The assessment highlights that the risk posed by AI-generated content from foreign sources depends on their ability to overcome restrictions in AI tools, develop sophisticated AI models, and strategically disseminate such content.
Iran has been using AI to create content in Spanish related to immigration, a divisive political issue in the US, with the aim of undermining former President Donald Trump's candidacy. On the other hand, Russia has been identified as the foreign power generating the most AI content related to the US election. The AI-generated content, including videos, photos, text, and audio, aligns with Moscow's efforts to support Trump's candidacy and disparage Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign.
US intelligence officials are closely monitoring these AI-enhanced influence operations and consider them a top concern in safeguarding the integrity of the presidential election. Despite the advancements in AI technology, foreign actors are still facing challenges in fully leveraging AI for their influence campaigns, according to the ODNI assessment.
