Russia uses ElevenLabs' AI-generated voices to undermine Western support for Ukraine

The Russian government is using generative artificial intelligence in a new propaganda campaign aimed at discrediting Ukraine and undermining aid from European countries. A cybersecurity company, Recorded Future report found that fake videos actively used voices generated by ElevenLabs.

Source: Recorded Future report

Details: The report found that the campaign was organised by the Social Design Agency, a Russian entity under US sanctions. The videos, targeted at a European audience, accused Ukrainian politicians of corruption and showed Western equipment, including American Abrams tanks, as ineffective.

Voices generated by artificial intelligence became a key tool of the propaganda campaign. Recorded Future states that the authors used ElevenLabs' technology to create non-accented audio in various European languages, including English, German, French, and Polish.

The researchers found that real people voiced some of the videos. This became apparent due to a noticeable Russian accent.

For reference: Recorded Future specialises in collecting, analysing, and predicting cyber threats using AI and machine learning to monitor real-time open information.

Background:

• Earlier, journalists found out that the Russian Social Design Agency, which positions itself as a media support organisation, actually uses disinformation to discredit Ukraine and promote Russia's interests. Russian political strategist Ilya Gambashidze runs the agency.
• By analysing the leaked documents, the agency creates and disseminates fake videos on social media that are stylised as Western media materials and are aimed at discrediting Ukraine.
• The leaked documents also confirm that the Social Design Agency is directly guided by the leadership of the Kremlin leader's administration, Vladimir Putin.

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