The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned Russian and Iranian groups for using AI-generated disinformation and cyberattacks to interfere in the 2024 presidential election, targeting voter influence and spreading false narratives. (Source: Image by RR)

Treasury Department Targets Foreign Influence Networks Using AI to Manipulate Voters

The U.S. Department of Treasury has imposed sanctions on organizations in Russia and Iran for attempting to interfere in the 2024 presidential election through AI-generated disinformation and cyber influence campaigns. The sanctioned entities, as reported in theverge.com, sought to manipulate public opinion and disrupt the democratic process by spreading false narratives and divisive content online.

One of the sanctioned groups, Russia’s Center for Geopolitical Expertise, allegedly worked with the GRU (Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate) to develop AI tools capable of generating and disseminating disinformation at scale. The organization built its own AI server to evade foreign web-hosting restrictions and operated a network of at least 100 websites to spread fabricated stories. The group also manipulated a video to make baseless accusations against a 2024 vice presidential candidate, allegedly targeting Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate.

In addition to Russia, the United States sanctioned Iran’s Cognitive Design Production Center, a unit within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), for planning election interference since at least 2023. The U.S. Department of Justice previously indicted Iranian nationals for cyberattacks against President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, and OpenAI recently banned ChatGPT accounts linked to an Iranian influence operation.

According to Bradley Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, the governments of Russia and Iran actively targeted US election processes and institutions through coordinated disinformation campaigns aimed at dividing the American public. The sanctions mark another step in the U.S. government’s ongoing effort to counter foreign interference in elections.

read more at theverge.com