U.S. tech giant Microsoft warned in a report published on April 4 that China and North Korea could interfere in upcoming elections in the U.S., South Korea, India, and Taiwan. The report stated that interference might occur through AI-generated content on social media platforms, influencing voter orientations to favor China and North Korea's interests.
It emphasized that China would use fake accounts, fabricated images, and groups specializing in disseminating misleading information and rumors about officials and politicians in these countries.
Microsoft Warns of China Using AI To Generate Misleading Content
The report published last week by Microsoft indicates that as the U.S. and South Korea prepare for elections, with voters heading to polling centers, China and North Korea are collaborating to use cyber-influence actors to advance their geopolitical interests by publishing AI-generated content.
The document highlights the growing threat posed by such content, which includes political memes, fake videos, and audio recordings.
The report also details how China spearheaded a significant campaign of misleading AI-generated content during Taiwan's presidential election in early January 2024. This marks a notable instance of a state officially supporting campaigns aimed at foreign election interference.
Additionally, the document mentions a group known as Storm-1376, also called Spamouflage or Dragon bridge. On election day, this group released a fake AI-generated audio recording of Foxconn owner and former election candidate Terry Gou endorsing another candidate. YouTube quickly removed this content before it could reach a broader audience.
The report further states that the group released a series of AI-generated political memes designed to tarnish Taiwanese presidential candidate William Lai, who supports independence from China. These memes falsely accused Lai of embezzling government funds.
Moreover, the group used an AI tool called CapCut, developed by ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to create and disseminate videos featuring fabricated newscasters who spread salacious rumors about Lai's personal life, including allegations of illegitimate children.
External Influence on U.S. Voters
Microsoft reported that these influence groups create fake accounts on social media platforms to exacerbate voter polarization in U.S. elections. The report describes this as a method of gathering intelligence on elections and voters through demographic-based surveys and polls.
For example, one question posed was, “What is your opinion on the U.S. paying $118 billion, plus an additional $20 billion for investment on the American-Mexican border, and injecting $75 billion as a financial package to support Israel and Ukraine?” Another asked, “What is your opinion on last year's U.S. F-35 fighter jet crash in South Carolina?”
The report was released alongside the White House's appointment of a review board, which confirmed that a Chinese cyberattack had exploited Microsoft system vulnerabilities to hack emails of American political figures.
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