Washington: Iran and China, along with groups in Israel, have used artificial intelligence (AI) agents in social media influence campaigns in recent months, The New York Times reported on Friday, raising concerns among US officials and cybersecurity researchers about the growing use of AI with limited human involvement.
According to the report, the campaigns relied on freely available Chinese AI models to create autonomous agents capable of carrying out online tasks. Hundreds of such agents were reportedly deployed to establish networks of fake accounts on US social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok.
The AI agents were used to populate the accounts with posts on politics and current affairs, while also coordinating online messaging and interactions.
US officials and researchers described the activity as among the first known cases in which AI agents powered by Chinese models were used across nearly the entire process of an influence campaign.
The campaigns were described as relatively crude, but the report said they demonstrated how publicly available AI systems could automate operations that previously required substantial human involvement.
US intelligence agencies, technology companies and cybersecurity researchers investigated the activity and traced the Chinese and Iranian operations to state-backed actors, according to the report.
The Iranian campaign targeted US audiences, with AI-generated accounts presenting themselves as ordinary Americans in major cities. The accounts reportedly shared popular memes, tagged journalists and politicians, and promoted views critical of the Republican Party.
Nearly 80,000 people followed the AI-generated accounts, which were active during the first half of the year, the report said.
The New York Times also reported on two Israeli campaigns attributed to private companies. One campaign, linked to Tel Aviv-based IntelEye, involved AI agents controlling thousands of social media accounts and engaging in discussions related to Israel’s upcoming elections.
