Clint Watts, an expert from the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, has warned about China’s plans to deploy artificial intelligence in social media campaigns to divide American voters ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
According to Watts, Beijing is intensifying its efforts to influence the electoral outcome favoring either Donald Trump or Joe Biden through a calculated use of AI-generated content, including memes, videos, and infographics.
Microsoft (Credits: UPI)
Watts highlighted that under Xi Jinping, the Chinese government strategically utilizes fake social media accounts to gauge public opinion on contentious issues.
These accounts actively engage in what appears to be polling to discern the political leanings and preferences of different American voter demographics. The ultimate aim is to identify and amplify topics that could potentially cause the most division leading into the critical phases of the presidential campaign.
The content disseminated by these AI-powered accounts focuses predominantly on hot-button issues within the U.S., such as climate change, border policies, drug use, immigration, and racial tensions.
Artificial Intelligence (Credits: East Ventures)
This approach suggests a nuanced strategy by China to not only understand American voting behaviors but also to exploit existing societal fissures, potentially swaying the election dynamics in a direction that aligns with its geopolitical interests.
This development signals a sophisticated evolution in international cyber influence and interference, underscoring the complex challenges facing American democracy as it navigates the digital age.
