Russia plotting to deploy sinister new AI weapon to meddle in US elections, officials warn just WEEKS before midterms

Russia is once again trying to interfere in an American election, according to US officials, with the Kremlin accused of unleashing a covert online influence campaign designed to stir division and undermine confidence ahead of November's midterms.

Recent classified US intelligence assessments have concluded that Moscow authorized a fresh digital operation aimed at Americans, using social media to spread or amplify inflammatory political material as voters prepare to decide control of Congress. 

The campaign appears to follow a playbook Russia has repeatedly deployed in the US since its notorious intervention in the 2016 presidential race but this time using artificial intelligence.  

China is also being closely watched, with US officials warning that Beijing could potentially target individual congressional races or lawmakers it considers hostile to Chinese interests.

Intelligence assessments suggest China may ultimately hold back because of the potential blowback if such an operation were exposed. 

Current and former officials have described Beijing as generally more cautious about detection than Russia or Iran.

The warning comes as artificial intelligence emerges as an increasingly volatile factor in America's dealings with China far beyond the election campaign.

It was revealed Friday that faulty AI-assisted intelligence nearly prompted the US military to intercept and board a Chinese vessel in the Middle East earlier this year after its cargo was wrongly identified as containing components linked to a nuclear weapons program.

A US special operations analyst had used an AI chatbot to analyze the ship's manifest, according to CNN, only for the technology to produce an incorrect assessment that dramatically raised the stakes surrounding the vessel.

 US intelligence agencies concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Kremlin's sweeping influence operation targeting the 2016 presidential election. Pictured, Putin on Friday

The alleged Russian operation comes as President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised concerns about foreign interference and the security of US elections

When it comes to election interference, officials familiar with the intelligence told The New York Times there was no evidence Russia was attempting to compromise voting machines or manipulate the actual casting or counting of ballots.

Instead, Moscow's apparent objective is to influence what Americans see and believe online, deepening existing political divisions during an already fiercely contested election season.

Some US officials told the Times that the overarching Russian objective appears to be creating chaos rather than helping a particular political party.

However, recent examples independently attributed to Russian-linked operators have targeted Democratic Senate candidates in competitive states.

One brazen fake even appeared to feature Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis criticizing Democrats over transgender issues - but Curtis had said no such thing.

'There's not even a scintilla of truth in that,' her publicist Heidi Schaeffer told the Times.

Despite being bogus, the post had racked up nearly 200,000 views on X by the end of Thursday, according to the platform's public view count.

Other fabricated videos have been made to resemble reports produced by CNN, the BBC and The New York Times, lending an air of legitimacy to baseless or unsubstantiated claims.

Artificial intelligence has given disinformation networks a powerful new tool for rapidly producing convincing fake videos, images and political content

Jamie Lee Curtis was dragged into the latest campaign through a bogus video falsely portraying her as criticizing Democrats over transgender issues

Among those targeted were Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who is seeking re-election in Georgia, as well as Democrats Sherrod Brown in Ohio, Roy Cooper in North Carolina, Troy Jackson in Maine, Chris Pappas in New Hampshire, Mary Peltola in Alaska, Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, James Talarico in Texas and Joshua Turek in Iowa.

The material has pushed accusations involving corruption, antisemitism and gay and transgender rights - issues already featuring prominently in America's domestic political battles.

Some US officials said intelligence assessments indicate Moscow's broader objective is to cause disruption and deepen distrust rather than simply help one political party.

However, the recent examples independently linked to Russia by researchers have targeted Democratic candidates.

Threat-analysis company Graphika attributed the latest barrage to a Kremlin-linked influence operation researchers have dubbed Operation Overload or Matryoshka.

The network has become notorious for impersonating legitimate media organizations and producing fabricated content intended to spread across social media.

Researchers in Europe and the United States detected two separate waves of activity over the past week, with videos appearing on X and Bluesky and experts fear this could be merely the opening salvo.

'We're definitely expecting it to ramp up,' Graphika senior researcher Jean Le Roux told the Times. 'I don't think they're going to stop. I think that we're seeing the initial kickoff of the US election focused campaigning.' 

The alleged operation carries echoes of Russia's intervention in the 2016 presidential election.

Democrats Jon Ossoff in Georgia, Sherrod Brown in Ohio and Roy Cooper in North Carolina were among the Senate candidates targeted by the Russian-linked disinformation campaign

Troy Jackson in Maine, Chris Sununu in New Hampshire and Mary Peltola in Alaska were also among the political figures targeted by the Russian-linked campaign

US intelligence agencies concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a sweeping influence campaign intended to damage Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and help Republican Donald Trump's electoral prospects.

Those findings were subsequently supported by the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation.

Declassified intelligence assessments have since concluded that Moscow mounted online influence operations during every American federal election cycle that followed.

This year's effort, however, appears less extensive or coordinated than some previous Russian campaigns, according to officials cited by the Times.

Intelligence officials believe Moscow traditionally places greater importance on presidential elections than midterms and is also heavily occupied by its continuing war in Ukraine.

American voters cast their ballots as the US prepares for November's crucial midterm elections

Researchers say AI can also help influence operations impersonate celebrities and trusted news outlets, allowing fabricated claims to appear more authentic

Still, the appearance of fresh Russian-linked material demonstrates that the Kremlin's influence machinery has not disappeared.

Russia has historically denied US accusations that it meddles in American elections. 

Moscow is not the only foreign government under scrutiny.

American intelligence assessments have raised the possibility that Iran could also attempt to influence political opinion around the November elections, although officials said relatively little activity linked to Tehran had so far been documented.

Iran sought to spread propaganda aimed at undermining Trump during the 2020 and 2024 presidential election cycles, according to previous US intelligence findings.

Meta last month identified a small network of Facebook and Instagram accounts originating in Iran that focused on American politics. 

Some of the material was created using artificial intelligence and included what Meta characterized as 'anti-Republican views.'