China is poised to utilize artificially intelligent (AI) generated content to disrupt upcoming Lok Sabha polls in India, as well as elections in countries like the United States and South Korea, according to a report released by Microsoft on Friday.
Microsoft noted that China will, at the very least, produce and disseminate AI-generated content via social media platforms to bolster its positions in these significant elections. While the potential impact of such content on election outcomes remains minimal, the company cautioned that China’s ongoing experimentation with augmenting memes, videos, and audio through AI could become increasingly effective in the future. These insights were part of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence report titled ‘Same targets, new playbooks: East Asia threat actors employ unique methods’, published by the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC).
The report highlighted that China had previously attempted an AI-generated disinformation campaign during the Taiwan presidential election in January. This marked the first instance of a state-backed entity utilizing AI-generated content to influence a foreign election, as per Microsoft.
Furthermore, Microsoft warned that China’s targets may extend beyond Taiwan this year. The company observed several notable cyber and influence trends from China and North Korea since June 2023, indicating a doubling down on familiar targets and attempts to employ more sophisticated influence techniques to achieve their objectives.
According to Microsoft, Chinese cyber actors have broadly focused on three target areas over the past seven months. One group extensively targeted entities across the South Pacific Islands, while another continued cyberattacks against regional adversaries in the South China Sea region. Additionally, a third group compromised the US defense industrial base.
Microsoft noted that Chinese influence campaigns have continued to refine AI-generated or AI-enhanced content, with actors behind these campaigns demonstrating a willingness to amplify AI-generated media that aligns with their strategic narratives. China-based threat actors have also continued targeting entities related to China’s economic and military interests in and around the South China Sea, while compromising government and telecommunications entities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as per Microsoft’s findings.
