Russian Think Tank Allegedly Used AI to Spread 2024 Election Disinformation
The US Treasury Department sanctioned Russia's Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE) for allegedly using generative AI to create and distribute disinformation during the 2024 US election, including a deepfake video targeting a vice-presidential candidate. CGE allegedly worked with Russian military intelligence to operate over 100 websites imitating legitimate news outlets to spread false information and sow political division.
What happened
The Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE), a Russian think tank founded by Aleksandr Dugin, allegedly worked with Russian military intelligence (GRU) to spread disinformation during the 2024 US presidential election.
CGE allegedly used generative AI tools to create disinformation and doctored a deepfake video containing false accusations about a 2024 vice-presidential candidate, specifically targeting Tim Walz according to US intelligence officials.
CGE allegedly managed over 100 websites designed to imitate legitimate news outlets, using AI systems to distribute disinformation across this network and obscure the Russian origin of the content.
Reported impact
The US Treasury Department alleged that CGE and GRU aimed to stoke socio-political tensions and influence the US electorate by creating false corroboration between stories through the website network.
US intelligence officials linked Russian influence actors, including those connected to CGE, to the creation of the fake video attacking Tim Walz in an effort to sow discord among US voters.
Index analysis
The incident involved the use of generative AI to automate disinformation creation and distribution at scale, coupled with deepfake video production to target specific political figures.
The operation exploited AI capabilities to manage a large network of deceptive websites and control information flow while obscuring the source of the campaign.
Governance controls
The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on CGE, its director Valery Korovin, and Aleksandr Dugin in response to the alleged interference campaign, restricting their access to the US financial system.
Russia's embassy in Washington denied the allegations, stating that Russia does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.