China and North Korea are intensifying their cyber operations, leveraging artificial intelligence to influence global opinions and elections in the U.S., South Korea, India, and Taiwan, according to Microsoft’s latest Threat Intelligence report. The report details China’s use of AI-generated content, such as videos, memes and fake news anchors, to sway public opinion and influence the outcomes of key elections.
Clint Watts of Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center highlights China’s use of fake social media accounts to probe divisive U.S. domestic issues, aiming to understand what divides U.S. voters. These influence operations have targeted various issues within the U.S., gathering intelligence on American political views.
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Last year, the group Storm 1376 falsely claimed the Maui fires were set by the U.S. government as a test of a “weather weapon.” The challenge lies in combating misinformation from realistic generative AI, as many refuse to accept such content as false, especially when it aligns with their beliefs and values.
In Taiwan, a suspected AI-generated audio falsely portrayed Foxconn’s Terry Gou endorsing another presidential candidate, which YouTube quickly removed. Meanwhile, North Korea has focused on cryptocurrency thefts and supply chain attacks, funding its military ambitions and enhancing intelligence collection through AI.
The U.N. estimates that since 2017, North Korean cyber actors have stolen over $3 billion in cryptocurrency. Microsoft acknowledges that while AI-generated content currently has a minimal impact on elections, China’s ongoing efforts to refine this content could become more effective as technology advances.
Tags: Artificial Intelligence, China, Cyber attack, cyber crimes, Hackers, Microsoft, North Korea, People’s Republic of China
MICROSOFT’S LATEST THREAT INTELLIGENCE REPORT UNCOVERS THE SOPHISTICATED CYBER ACTIVITIES OF CHINA AND NORTH KOREA, FOCUSING ON THEIR USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO INFLUENCE GLOBAL OPINIONS AND ELECTIONS IN THE U.S., SOUTH KOREA, INDIA, AND TAIWAN.
THEY’RE CALLED INFLUENCE OPERATIONS — AND THEY COULD BE SUBTLY HIDDEN RIGHT IN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEED.
THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS CHINA’S DEPLOYMENT OF AI-GENERATED CONTENT, INCLUDING VIDEOS, MEMES, AND FAKE NEWS ANCHORS, TO SWAY PUBLIC OPINION AND MANIPULATE THE OUTCOME OF SIGNIFICANT ELECTIONS — SAYING CHINA “EXPERIMENTED WITH NEW MEDIA” AND “CONTINUED TO REFINE AI-GENERATED OR AI-ENHANCED CONTENT.”
CLINT WATTS, THE GENERAL MANAGER FOR MICROSOFT’S THREAT ANALYSIS CENTER SAYS CHINA IS USING FAKE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS TO POLL VOTERS ON WHAT DIVIDES THEM MOST TO SOW DIVISION, ADDING:
“Deceptive social media accounts by Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-affiliated actors have started to pose contentious questions on controversial U.S. domestic issues to better understand the key issues that divide U.S. voters.”
THESE INFLUENCE OPERATIONS HAVE TARGETED ISSUES WITHIN THE U.S., ATTEMPTING TO GATHER INTELLIGENCE ON AMERICAN POLITICAL VIEWS THROUGH FAKE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS POSING AS U.S. VOTERS.
LAST YEAR, A GROUP CALLED STORM 1376, CLAIMED THE MAUI FIRES WERE SET BY THE U-S GOVERNMENT TO TEST A MILITARY-GRADE “WEATHER WEAPON.”
EXPERTS SAY COMBATING MISINFORMATION FROM REALISTIC GENERATIVE AI POSES A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE, AS MANY PEOPLE ARE RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT SUCH CONTENT AS FALSE, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT ALIGNS WITH THEIR BELIEFS AND VALUES.
ACCORDING TO THE REPORT:
“They use original videos, memes, and infographics as well as recycled content from other high-profile political accounts.”
IN TAIWAN, ON ELECTION DAY, SUSPECTED AI-GENERATED AUDIO FALSELY PORTRAYED FOXCONN’S TERRY GOU, WHO HAD WITHDRAWN FROM THE RACE IN NOVEMBER 2023, AS ENDORSING ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. YOUTUBE REMOVED THIS CONTENT TO PREVENT IT FROM REACHING A BROADER AUDIENCE.
MEANWHILE, MICROSOFT SAYS NORTH KOREA’S FOCUS HAS SHIFTED TOWARDS CRYPTOCURRENCY THEFTS AND SUPPLY CHAIN ATTACKS, FUNDING ITS MILITARY AMBITIONS AND IMPROVING INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION THROUGH AI EFFICIENCIES.
THE UNITED NATIONS ESTIMATES THAT SINCE 2017, NORTH KOREAN CYBER ACTORS HAVE STOLEN OVER $3 BILLION IN CRYPTOCURRENCY, WITH HEISTS IN 2023 ALONE TOTALING BETWEEN $600 MILLION AND $1 BILLION.
MICROSOFT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT AI-GENERATED CONTENT HAS A MINIMAL IMPACT ON ELECTIONS NOW, BUT AS CHINA CONTINUES TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND ITS USE OF ENHANCED MEMES, VIDEOS, AND AUDIO, THESE EFFORTS ARE EXPECTED TO GROW MORE EFFECTIVE AS THE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES.
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