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Election Interference 2.0: Iran and Russia Caught Red-Handed (with AI!)

Writer's picture: Tom MalkaTom Malka

Threat Intelligence


Think fake news is bad? Wait till you see what these guys are cooking up. Iran and Russia just got busted using AI to meddle in the U.S. elections, and it's straight out of a sci-fi thriller.


By: Tom Malka, Head of Research, RAKIA

Jan 02, 2025


What Happened


This week, the Treasury Department decided it was time to play hardball. They slapped sanctions on a bunch of shady operators in Iran and Russia who were caught with their hands in the digital cookie jar, trying to influence the 2024 election. Their weapon of choice? Cutting-edge AI technology. We're talking about deepfakes so real they could fool your grandma, and disinformation campaigns designed to spread like wildfire across social media.


Why This Matters


This isn't some college kids messing around in their dorm room. We're talking about state-sponsored actors, with deep pockets and sophisticated technology, deliberately trying to undermine our democracy. Think about it: if they can create convincing fake videos of candidates saying or doing things they never did, how can we trust anything we see online? This stuff has the potential to completely erode public trust and throw the entire election into chaos.


The Bigger Picture


Remember when "fake news" was just badly photoshopped images and ridiculous clickbait headlines? Those were the good old days. Now, with AI in the mix, we're entering a whole new era of disinformation. These AI algorithms can churn out incredibly realistic content, making it harder than ever to tell fact from fiction. It's like we're living in a sci-fi movie where reality itself is under attack.


Lessons Learned


  • Don't Trust Your Eyes (or Your Ears): With AI-generated content becoming more and more sophisticated, we can't just blindly trust what we see or hear online. We need to be skeptical, question everything, and double-check our sources.

  • Become an AI Detective: It's time to brush up on your digital literacy skills. Learn about the latest AI developments and disinformation tactics so you can spot the fakes and protect yourself from manipulation. Think of it as a crash course in online self-defense.

  • Support the Truth Tellers: Reliable, independent journalism is more important than ever in this age of AI-powered propaganda. Support the news organizations that are fighting for truth and holding those in power accountable. They're the front line in the battle against disinformation.


Call to Action


We're in a fight for the future of our democracy, and the battlefield is online. The lines between reality and fiction are blurring, and the bad guys are using AI to exploit that. But we can fight back. Stay vigilant, question everything, and don't let them win. The truth is out there, but we need to be smart enough to find it.


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