AI-Enhanced Malign Influence Operations by Russian and Chinese Actors

Russian and Chinese state-linked actors are utilizing artificial intelligence to enhance their influence operations on social media platforms. Instead of overwhelming platforms with low-quality content, they are now creating more believable personas and refining content quality to evade detection. This shift, observed from 2024 to 2026, marks a significant evolution in foreign influence tactics, making it harder for platforms to identify and mitigate these threats. The use of AI allows these actors to broaden their linguistic and visual reach, posing a growing challenge for cybersecurity professionals and social media platforms. The current status indicates ongoing operations with increasing sophistication in their methods.

Key Points: • Russian and Chinese actors are using AI to improve the quality of influence operations. • The focus has shifted from quantity to creating believable personas that mimic human behavior. • These tactics make it more difficult for social media platforms to detect and mitigate inauthentic accounts.