China plans to flood social media with AI-crafted material favouring its interests in the upcoming general elections on April 19.
This was revealed in a recent report by Microsoft Threat Analysis Centre (MTAC) titled, “Same targets, new playbooks: East Asia threat actors employ unique methods”.
Microsoft cautions that one of China’s such campaign, “Flax Typhoon”, has targeted entities related to US-Philippines military exercises and expanded its operations to include India, among other countries.
It further adds that although the immediate impact might be limited, China’s experimentation with AI-driven memes, videos, and audio could become more effective over time.
As par the findings of the report, China has experimented in such tactics; earlier, during Taiwan’s presidential election.
The neighbours have used AI-generated content to influence results there, marking the first instance of a state-backed entity employing AI-generated content to influence a foreign election, the report adds.
The Microsoft’s report highlights China’s expanding ambitions beyond Taiwan, with recent trends showing more sophisticated tactics aimed at traditional foes and new targets alike.
Chinese cyber actors have been active in the South Pacific Islands, the South China Sea region, and have even breached the US defence industrial base, the report added.
Moreover, China’s influence campaigns are evolving, with a focus on refining AI-generated content to shape narratives in their favour.
Earlier in September 2003, the MTAC had said that fake images are most likely to be created by something called diffusion-powered image generators that use AI to not only create compelling images but also learn to improve them over time.
In a series of reports titled, “Sophistication, scope, and scale: Digital threats from East Asia increase in breadth and effectiveness”, the centre had identified specific sectors and regions at heightened risk.
