Putin’s AI threat to democracy: Russian spies ‘have developed an artificial intelligence cyber tool to spread disinformation and interfere in elections across the West’

Ukraine accused Russia of developing an AI tool that would allow Moscow to interfere in Western elections by spreading disinformation.

Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraine’s national security adviser, told The Times that AI tools have allowed Russia to take its disinformation campaigns to new heights, and that the Kremlin has invested heavily in AI.

He said: ‘Artificial intelligence is a huge step forward for Russia and it makes the impact (of their interference) exponentially greater.’

Danilov said that only “two or three” agents had the ability to create “tens of thousands” of realistic but fake social media accounts on Telegram, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

He added that Russia’s spy operations against Ukraine are now spreading up to 166 million disinformation posts on social media platforms every week.

Of this enormous amount, 36 million were aimed at discrediting senior Ukrainian officials, 23.5 million attempted to sow political and military dysfunction, 51 million attempted to demoralize the military, and another 55 million attempted to demoralize the public.

Ukraine alleged that Russia spread false information online in an attempt to disrupt Ukraine’s mobilization drive

“The international goal of the Russians is to reduce support for our country from the pro-Ukrainian coalition in the world,” Ukrainian intelligence said.

He added that Russian spies were also trying to damage Ukraine’s ability to gather crucial military aid from Western partners.

Kiev has become increasingly frustrated in recent months by the hold-up of Western aid, warning that the country has lost ground to Russia due to ammunition shortages.

“The international goal of the Russians is to reduce support for our country from the pro-Ukrainian coalition in the world,” Ukrainian intelligence said.

It alleged that Russia spread false information online in an attempt to disrupt Ukraine’s mobilization drive, questioned Kiev’s ability to win and promoted the idea that the West was “tired.”

“Russian special services have extensive experience in waging hybrid wars. They spend no less on information attacks against Ukraine than on conventional warfare,” it added.

It said Russia had budgeted $1.5 billion (£1.2 billion) for its disinformation campaign, including almost $250 million spent on “anti-Ukrainian sentiment” on the messaging app Telegram.

It also accused the Kremlin of sowing distrust in Ukrainian government officials and calling into question President Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-year mandate, which expires in May.

“According to the enemy’s plan, the situation in our country will shake up in the first half of June and then, taking advantage of the situation, Ukraine will be defeated militarily in the East, which is the key idea of ​​their operation,” it said.

Faced with shortages of ammunition and manpower on the battlefield, the Ukrainian army is facing increasing difficulties on the front lines.

Over the past three months, the country has withdrawn from a series of cities on the eastern front, including the major industrial center of Avdiivka earlier in February.

While EU leaders have overcome Hungary’s longstanding opposition to more aid, support from Kiev’s biggest ally Washington is being held up due to infighting in Congress.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy answers questions from the media during his press conference in Kiev

Ukrainian gunman Vasyl Zozulia removes a smoking shell casing after firing the gun

Ukrainian soldiers visit an exhibition of destroyed Russian military vehicles

It comes hours after the Kremlin warned that a conflict between Russia and NATO would be inevitable if European members sent troops to fight in Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that European countries have not ruled out putting boots on the ground.

He said nothing should be ruled out as the West looks for a strategy to counter Russia, which controls just under a fifth of the territory recognized as Ukraine.

“We will do everything we have to do so that Russia does not win,” Macron added.

“The fact that there is talk of the possibility of sending certain contingents from NATO countries to Ukraine is a very important new element,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about Macron’s comments.

Asked about the risks if NATO members sent their troops to fight in Ukraine, Peskov said: “In that case we should not talk about the probability, but about the inevitability (of a direct conflict).”

Peskov said the West must ask itself whether such a scenario is in the interests of their countries and peoples.