Russian Hackers Use Fake AI Tom Cruise To Spread Disinformation About Paris Olympics
The efforts appear to be retaliation for Russian athletes being only allowed to compete as neutral athletes at the Paris games this summer.
Russian hackers have the 2024 summer Olympics at Paris squarely in their sights in apparent retaliation for the country being excluded from the Olympic games.
Last year, a documentary titled âOlympics have Fallenâ was produced, featuring celebrities endorsing the documentary on Cameo and a voice-over that sounded like actor Tom Cruise.
The filmâs publicity material even included fake positive reviews from the likes of the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the BBC. The only problem, however, is that the film was a fake.
A report published by Microsoft found that the voiceover, which ânarrated a strange, meandering script disparaging the International Olympic Committeeâs leadershipâ was AI-generated.
The report goes on to describe how the Russian government is working to undermine the Olympics, as it has in the past.
âIf they cannot participate in or win the Games, then they seek to undercut, defame, and degrade the international competition in the minds of participants, spectators, and global audiences,â the report reads.
Ars Technica now reports that the russian hackers are creating fake news stories aimed at discrediting the games, including a fraudulent Euro News article claiming that Paris residents are buying property insurance in anticipation of a terrorist attack, for instance.
Other fake news stories include a false France24 video claiming that nearly a quarter of tickets to the games have been returned because of fears of terrorism. In sum, Ars Technica found 15 French-language ânewsâ sites spreading disinformation about the games.
According to the Microsoft report, two groups, Storm-1679 and Storm-1099, have focused their efforts on undermining the Olympics and the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
âThese ongoing Russian influence operations have two central objectives: to denigrate the reputation of the IOC on the world stage; and to create the expectation of violence breaking out in Paris during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games,â the report reads.
The efforts appear to be retaliation for Russian athletes being only allowed to compete as neutral athletes at the games. Russian competitors will also need to meet certain IOC criteria and pass a vetting process.
