Associated Incidents
A Moscow-based nonprofit closely associated with Russia's main intelligence division used AI to spread disinformation online during the 2024 presidential election, with servers based in the US, the Treasury Department said in a press release Tuesday.
The agency says the Center for Geopolitical Expertise used AI tools to spread disinformation about candidates in the US presidential campaign and that it created deepfake videos of a vice presidential candidate. The agency didn't specify the candidates by name.
With financial support from Russia's GRU intelligence agency, the department contends, the Center for Geopolitical Expertise "used generative AI tools to quickly create disinformation" for distribution across "a massive network of websites designed to imitate legitimate news outlets to create false corroboration between the stories, as well as to obfuscate their Russian origin."
The department says the GRU helped the nonprofit use a "network of U.S.-based facilitators" to "build and maintain its AI-support server; maintain a network of at least 100 websites used in its disinformation operations; and contribute to the rent cost of the apartment where the server is housed."
No names were given for individuals or entities who served as "facilitators," nor were any details provided about the network of websites. It's uncertain to what extent these sites are still showing up via Google, social media or some other online mechanism.
The Treasury Department and the CGE didn't respond to requests for comment. A Russian embassy spokesperson said in a statement that Russia "has not and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including the United States" and that insinuations of Russian interference are "malicious slander."
For the past decade, Russia has been engaging in online election misinformation campaigns around the world. That's included leaking email from the 2016 Bundestag hack in Germany to push negative information about Chancellor Angela Merkel's policies, promoting social media bot activity during Britain's Brexit referendum, and spreading false stories about French President Emmanuel Macron and elevating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen during France's 2017 election.
In the lead-up to the 2016 US presidential election, Russia's Internet Research Agency created thousands of fake social media profiles to disseminate divisive content online, often favoring Donald Trump, according to a report released by the US Senate in late 2018.
The use of AI is a more recent evolution. During the 2024 presidential election, Russia began using AI to spread election misinformation at a more rapid pace with greater targeting, according to Bellingcat journalist Chriso Grozev. The US government has worked to disrupt AI-driven Russian disinformation campaigns, which will continue to be a major topic for countries around the world.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said the department has placed sanctions on the Center for Geopolitical Expertise and its director, Valery Korovin.