China's Tricks With Fake AI Videos In Taiwan Stir Worries For US 2024 Elections

Chinese actors have reportedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to manipulate videos and disseminate disinformation during Taiwan’s national elections, potentially posing a risk for the upcoming U.S. 2024 elections.

What Happened: Taiwanese groups disclosed on Monday that Chinese actors had launched a significant disinformation campaign during Taiwan’s national elections, which concluded in January, reported The Hill.

The campaign involved AI’s use to manipulate videos and create discord, including altering the words of at least one U.S. member of Congress.

The disinformation narratives primarily targeted the U.S., falsely accusing Washington of constructing biological labs in Taiwan and instigating the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. The narratives also sought to manipulate public opinion during the U.S. presidential elections this year.

Microsoft Corp. MSFT published a report this month suggesting that China is employing similar tactics in the U.S.

"We are prepared to see influence actors interact with Americans for engagement and to potentially research perspectives on U.S. politics," Microsoft warned in the report. "China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content that benefits their positions in these high-profile elections." 

Chinese government-associated accounts have posted about presidential candidates in the U.S. elections, with one of the most active Chinese actors spreading propaganda known as Spamouflage.

Chihhao Yu, co-director of the Taiwan Information Environment Research Center, an NGO dedicated to information research, revealed that his organization has identified 84 narratives promoted by China to fuel skepticism in the United States. He emphasized that Chinese entities are actively working to strengthen a pro-Beijing narrative, an effort his NGO is countering through extensive data collection and local-level focus group discussions aimed at comprehending the effects of information manipulation.

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Analysts are increasingly cautioning that China is attempting to influence this year’s U.S. elections. Earlier this year, the Center for American Progress, a U.S. think tank, warned that China’s AI-driven disinformation efforts “have intensified.”

The disinformation campaign in Taiwan was disseminated on popular apps, such as video-sharing platform TikTok, which is currently under scrutiny in the U.S. as a potential national security threat.

Why It Matters: This development follows a series of warnings and accusations against China’s cyber activities. In March, the Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, expressed concerns over China potentially using TikTok to influence the forthcoming 2024 U.S. elections.

Later that month, Australia and New Zealand accused China of orchestrating covert cyberattack campaigns against their democratic institutions.

Recently, cybersecurity experts warned the UK of an impending wave of state-sponsored cyberattacks and AI-generated disinformation targeting its 2024 elections. These warnings and incidents highlight the growing threat of AI-driven disinformation campaigns to democratic processes worldwide.

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