China may use AI-generated content to influence Indian Lok Sabha election, warns Microsoft

Microsoft has cautioned that China may try to interfere in the upcoming Indian Lok Sabha elections by using artificial intelligence-generated content to amplify its interests.

Apart from India, the US tech giant said that China will also target South Korea and the United States where elections are going to take place.

Though the firm has deemed the impact of such content on election outcomes to be low, Microsoft believes that China's ongoing efforts to enhance memes, videos, and audio through experimentation may become more effective over time.

According to Microsoft's report, China previously tried an AI-generated disinformation campaign during the Taiwan presidential election in January.

This marked the first instance of a state-backed entity employing AI-generated content to influence a foreign election, the company stated.

“Chinese influence campaigns continued to refine AI-generated or AI-enhanced content. The influence actors behind these campaigns have shown a willingness to both amplify AI-generated media that benefits their strategic narratives, as well as create their own video, memes, and audio content,” Microsoft said.

According to Microsoft, threat actors based in China persisted in targeting entities connected to China's economic and military interests in the South China Sea region. They also compromised government and telecommunications entities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

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