U.S. Justice Department Disrupts Russian AI-Enhanced Social Media Operation

The U.S. Justice Department has disrupted a Russian operation that used AI to create fake social media accounts to spread pro-Kremlin messages. The operation, linked to Russian intelligence and RT, created around 1,000 fake profiles. The disruption comes just months before the U.S. presidential election.

The U.S. Justice Department announced on Tuesday the disruption of a Russian operation that leveraged artificial intelligence to create fake social media accounts aimed at spreading pro-Kremlin messages in the United States and abroad. This revelation comes four months ahead of the U.S. presidential election, a period security experts anticipate will be targeted by foreign adversaries through hacking and covert social media influence.

Prosecutors revealed that the alleged operation was orchestrated by a Russian private intelligence organization, staffed with Russian intelligence officers and a senior employee from the government-funded news outlet, Russia Today (RT). RT's spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to court documents, the organization employed a custom AI-powered platform to create and manage approximately 1,000 fake social media accounts, designed to resemble real American users. These accounts, which have since been banned, commonly disseminated pro-Kremlin rhetoric and were critical of the Ukrainian government.

(With inputs from agencies.)