A new report from the U.S. Department of the Treasury has revealed troubling new details about how foreign actors, specifically from Russia and Iran, used advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to interfere in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has identified entities involved in these efforts and moved to block further attempts by foreign actors to interfere with American democracy.
Russia has been a key player in trying to influence U.S. elections for years, and new revelations suggest that its influence operations are becoming even more sophisticated. According to the Treasury report, a Moscow-based organization, the Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE), has been using AI tools to create and spread disinformation aimed at influencing U.S. voters ahead of the 2024 election. The group, which is linked to Russia’s GRU (military intelligence), used AI to create deepfake videos and fake news stories that targeted political candidates, with a focus on stoking division among the electorate.
The AI tools helped generate misleading content quickly, allowing Russian operatives to flood the internet with disinformation. These false stories were shared across a network of over 100 websites designed to look like legitimate news outlets. By masking the Russian origins of the content, the operatives sought to deceive voters, create confusion, and allegedly influence the outcome of the election in favor of certain candidates, including President-elect Donald Trump.
A surprising detail in the report is that CGE set up a server, funded by the Russian government, in a rented apartment. This server hosted the AI tools and the disinformation content, enabling CGE to bypass foreign web-hosting services that might block their activities. This tactic highlights the lengths to which Russian operatives were willing to go in order to remain undetected while attempting to manipulate the election.
The financial backing for this operation came directly from the Russian GRU, which is known for its covert activities targeting Western democracies. The GRU helped fund not only the server but also the apartment where it was housed. This shows that the Russian government continued its efforts to shape the political landscape of the U.S., with the aim of influencing the 2024 election.
These operations are part of a broader strategy by Russia to weaken U.S. democracy. The Treasury Department noted that Russia’s goal was to fuel division among Americans, creating discord by spreading disinformation, particularly targeting political figures. In this case, the AI-generated content included manipulated videos that were designed to damage the reputation of candidates, including a vice-presidential contender. Though the report does not specify all the targets of this disinformation, the Russian effort is believed to have been aimed at benefiting Donald Trump, who had close ties to Russia during his presidency.
While Russia and Iran may have different political goals, both countries are using similar tactics: undermining trust in U.S. democratic institutions and sowing discord among voters. The use of AI and other advanced technologies highlights how foreign powers are adapting their interference efforts to disrupt modern elections and influence political outcomes.
In response to these threats, the U.S. government has imposed sanctions on the Russian and Iranian entities involved in election interference. These sanctions block their assets in the U.S. and prohibit U.S. persons and entities from engaging in business with them. The Treasury Department’s actions aim to limit the ability of these foreign actors to operate freely and further disrupt U.S. political processes.
