The US sees a growing threat that Russia, Iran and China are trying to influence the November elections, including by using artificial intelligence to spread false or divisive information, according to the US Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) annual threat assessment released on Wednesday, the 2nd of October, reports Reuters.
The US is preparing for a close presidential election between Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump.
The report says Russian “agents of influence” have spun stories about migrants entering the US to stir up divisions and have used generative artificial intelligence to create fake websites that look like authentic US-based media sites.
Iran, for its part, has become “increasingly aggressive in its external influence efforts”, the report said. In one example, Iranian representatives posed online as activists to encourage protests over the Gaza conflict, DHS said.
The DHS assessment predicted that Russia, Iran and China “will use a combination of diversionary, undeclared, criminal and coercive tactics to seek new opportunities to undermine confidence in US democratic institutions and internal social cohesion”.
Violent extremists operating in the country pose another serious threat, the report said. Trump has already been the target of two alleged assassinations.
The report states that domestic extremists are expected to attempt violent acts “aimed at instilling fear in voters, candidates and election workers and disrupting the electoral process”.
Among these actors, lone offenders or small groups motivated by race, religion, gender or anti-government views pose the greatest threat, the report said.
Russia, Iran and China expected to try to influence US elections
