In a viral music video criticizing the 2024 Olympics, an actor resembling French President Emmanuel Macron was featured. The visuals of rats, trash, and sewage in the video were generated by artificial intelligence. The video, which depicted Paris in a negative light, quickly spread on social media platforms with the help of 30,000 social media bots associated with a Russian disinformation group targeting France. The video was translated into 13 languages promptly through AI technology.
The online disinformation campaign around the Paris Games involved incendiary claims and attacks on the host country, demonstrating how global events like the Olympics have become prime targets for propaganda. Russian athletes were only allowed to compete as neutrals due to the ban on Russian flags and team sports following the Ukraine invasion. Gordon Crovitz of NewsGuard noted the technical sophistication of Russia’s disinformation efforts targeting the Olympics.
With the advancement of generative AI models, Russia is utilizing AI to create fake videos, music, and websites for malicious purposes. This technology enables the rapid creation of realistic content comparable to human-generated material, making the dissemination of disinformation quicker and more cost-effective. Another fake video circulated claiming the CIA and U.S. State Department warned against using the Paris metro, which was later traced back to a group associated with the Russian government and likely created using AI.
Disinformation networks linked to the Kremlin exploited a controversy involving Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, amplifying unsubstantiated claims about her gender. The International Boxing Association, permanently barred from the Olympics, has faced scrutiny over its decisions, with questions arising about Khelif’s disqualification after defeating a Russian boxer. Russian state media has propagated false narratives, focusing on negative aspects of the Olympics.
Past instances of Russia using propaganda to undermine Olympic Games were highlighted, including cyberattacks and dissemination of false information. The Russian government did not respond to inquiries. Authorities in France are vigilant against sabotage, cyber threats, and disinformation targeting the Games, as demonstrated by the recent arrest of a Russian man charged with destabilizing the country before the Olympics. Various groups are exploiting the Games to spread disinformation, emphasizing the need for vigilance during global events.
