The FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a joint bulletin warning about the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) by foreign actors to spread false or misleading narratives ahead of the U.S. election. While there is no evidence of cyber activity compromising the integrity of voter registration information or the voting process, the agencies caution that foreign adversaries may attempt to undermine American confidence in the election system.
The bulletin highlights the use of AI-generated content, including synthetic media messaging campaigns, inauthentic news articles, and deepfakes (video and audio), which can be disseminated at a greater speed and scale across various platforms. These efforts aim to erode voter confidence and encourage the unwitting sharing and amplification of false information.
The agencies specifically mention Russian malign influence actors who have created fake social media profiles posing as U.S. citizens and purchased social media advertisements to drive traffic to fake news websites. They have also mimicked national-level media outlets and created inauthentic news sites to deceive users.
In a separate development, the Department of Justice recently charged three Iranian government employees for a hacking conspiracy targeting U.S. officials and political campaigns. The indictment, returned last month, accused Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi of attempting to hack the campaign of a presidential candidate, with Attorney General Merrick Garland confirming it was the campaign of former President Donald Trump.
However, there is no evidence that the Biden campaign, which suspended its presidential bid in late July, showed any interest in the hacked materials. The intelligence and cybersecurity agencies describe the emails as unsolicited, and there is no indication that the Biden campaign responded to them.
While the FBI and CISA emphasize that there is no evidence of compromised election infrastructure, they urge vigilance in identifying and countering false or misleading narratives. The use of AI by foreign actors poses a new challenge, as it enables the creation and dissemination of more advanced schemes to influence the election.