Russian propagandists generate AI videos to discredit Ukrainian Olympians – BBC

The Russian disinformation network Matryoshka is using AI-generated videos to discredit Ukrainian athletes at the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.

Source: fact-checkers from BBC Verify, as reported by BBC News Russian

Details: Matryoshka's use of AI-generated voices impersonating "trusted figures" is said to be what sets it apart.

Quote from Darren Linvill, a disinformation expert at Clemson University: "They take a real video of a real person but part-way through they switch to stock footage overlaid with a deepfake narration that sounds just like the real person so that they can insert absurd lies that appear more authentic."

Details: In the video examined by the BBC journalists, viewers initially see a genuine press conference by International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry that was broadcast on Euronews. However, after a few seconds Coventry's real voice is replaced by that of her AI clone.

The video creates the impression that the IOC president is outraged that Ukrainian athletes have come to Milan "for crazy political PR", that they are behaving aggressively, and that she has "never encountered people this irritating, I swear".

Footage from the actual press conference clearly shows that Coventry said nothing of the sort.

BBC Verify also established that the same tactic was used to discredit Ukrainian athletes by fabricating a fake commentary attributed to an American commentator at the Winter Games. In addition, Canadian broadcaster CBC has reported on an AI-generated video featuring one of its journalists.

Quote from Pablo Maristany of the Institute of Strategic Dialogue: "What truly sets Matryoshka apart is the use of AI voiceovers to impersonate the voices of trusted figures."

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