China Proposes Using AI to Spread Disinformation and Manipulate Public Opinion Online

Chinese researcher Li Bicheng has proposed using AI to manipulate public opinion and spread disinformation online to support the Chinese Communist Party. This aligns with the party's goals for improving "online information deception".

China is already using click farms and fake accounts to spread pro-Beijing content on Western platforms like Facebook, though current efforts are still human-driven.

New generative AI like DALL-E allows creating synthetic text, images and video at low cost and huge scale, which could enable China to automatically generate persuasive fake content.

China aims to use AI and technology to better influence global opinions and create "favorable external public opinion" as directed by Xi Jinping.

Social media platforms and the U.S. government should take steps to curb inauthentic accounts and restrict export of advanced AI hardware to authoritarian regimes.