China will try to disrupt elections within the US, South Korea and India this yr with synthetic intelligence-generated content material after making a dry run with the presidential ballot in Taiwan, Microsoft has warned.

The US tech agency mentioned it anticipated Chinese language state-backed cyber teams to focus on high-profile elections in 2024, with North Korea additionally concerned, based on a report by the corporate’s risk intelligence crew revealed on Friday.

“As populations in India, South Korea and america head to the polls, we’re prone to see Chinese language cyber and affect actors, and to some extent North Korean cyber actors, work towards focusing on these elections,” the report reads.

Microsoft mentioned that “at a minimal” China will create and distribute via social media AI-generated content material that “advantages their positions in these high-profile elections”.

The corporate added that the influence of AI-made content material was minor however warned that might change.

“Whereas the influence of such content material in swaying audiences stays low, China’s growing experimentation in augmenting memes, movies and audio will proceed – and will show efficient down the road,” mentioned Microsoft.

Microsoft mentioned within the report that China had already tried an AI-generated disinformation marketing campaign within the Taiwan presidential election in January. The corporate mentioned this was the primary time it had seen a state-backed entity utilizing AI-made content material in a bid to affect a overseas election.

A Beijing-backed group referred to as Storm 1376, also called Spamouflage or Dragonbridge, was extremely energetic throughout the Taiwanese election. Its makes an attempt to affect the election included posting pretend audio on YouTube of the election candidate Terry Gou – who had bowed out in November – endorsing one other candidate. Microsoft mentioned the clip was “seemingly AI generated”. YouTube eliminated the content material earlier than it reached many customers.

The Beijing-backed group pushed a collection of AI-generated memes in regards to the finally profitable candidate, William Lai – a pro-sovereignty candidate opposed by Beijing – that levelled baseless claims in opposition to Lai accusing him of embezzling state funds. There was additionally an elevated use of AI-generated TV information anchors, a tactic that has additionally been utilized by Iran, with the “anchor” making unsubstantiated claims about Lai’s non-public life together with fathering illegitimate kids.

Microsoft mentioned the information anchors had been created by the CapCut device, which is developed by Chinese language firm ByteDance, the proprietor of TikTok.

Microsoft added that Chinese language teams proceed to mount affect campaigns within the US. It mentioned Beijing-backed actors are utilizing social media accounts to pose “divisive questions” and try to grasp points dividing US voters.

“This may very well be to collect intelligence and precision on key voting demographics forward of the US Presidential election,” mentioned Microsoft in a weblog put up accompanying the report.

One put up on X, previously Twitter, referred to a $118bn bipartisan invoice within the US that mixed a $20bn of funding within the US-Mexico border with a $75bn package deal for Ukraine and Israel. It requested: “What’s your response?” One other flagged the lack of an F-35 fighter in South Carolina final yr, saying “solely beneath the Biden administration” may a precious piece of navy {hardware} be misplaced – though particles was discovered quickly after – and requested “what do you concentrate on this?”

The report was revealed in the identical week {that a} White Home-appointed official overview board mentioned “a cascade of errors” by Microsoft let state-backed Chinese language cyber operators break into e mail accounts of senior US officers. Final month, the US and UK governments accused China-backed hackers of waging a years-long cyber marketing campaign focusing on politicians, journalists and companies, in addition to the UK’s election watchdog.