Fake AI content about the Iran war has ended everywhere

When the misinformation expert – Tal Hajin asked Your puppy To verify a post on X about the Iranian missiles that supposedly hit Tel Aviv, Elon Musk’s AI-powered chatbot failed miserably.

Your puppy repeatedly It was incorrectly specified The location and date of the video that was originally released subscriber On X by an Iranian state-owned media outlet on Sunday. Next, the chatbot tried to prove its point by Share an image generated by artificial intelligence.

“Now Grok responds by destroying the AI,” Hagen wrote in response. “Cooked I tell you.”

This interaction neatly sums up the extent of the disconnect from reality X has been since the United States and Israel began their attack on Iran on February 28. WIRED reported at the timeMisinformation quickly flooded the social media platform with accounts sharing fake and repurposed videos.

As the conflict continued, the floods became worse. In recent days, it has been enhanced by AI-powered photos and videos, while Your puppy has repeatedly given false information When you are asked to verify claims made on the Platform. Images of AI are being shared through paid accounts marked with blue check marks and Iranian officials seek to portray exaggerated damage.

The proliferation of easily accessible AI-powered image and video generation tools has given rise to increasingly sophisticated fake content. On March 2, for example, Iranian officials and state media shared AI-generated videos of Fire in a high-rise building in Bahrain. Videos and photos look realistic enough for many: One image A video of a US B-2 bomber shot down by Iran with US forces in custody was viewed more than a million times before it was deleted, while the pictures Delta Force members arrested by Iranian authorities had been viewed more than 5 million times before being deleted.

Some of the AI ​​content being promoted on X is less realistic. For example, one video claims that Iranian forces are manufacturing missiles deep in the cave. However, the video is still being shared by multiple accounts and has been viewed more than a million times.

The Iranian government is also using AI to push openly anti-Semitic narratives, with accounts in the pro-regime propaganda network on

There are also a number of accounts in this pro-regime network A fake video was shared It supposedly showed a line of young girls walking past President Donald Trump wearing only underwear. The post was viewed more than 6.8 million times, according to ISD, before it was removed, though it continued to be shared by other X accounts.

“What’s particularly unique about this war is the spike in AI-generated content that I find myself debunking,” Hagen tells WIRED. “This is likely due to AI being advanced enough to fool journalists, and the ease with which users can create this AI with no consequences. The longer we go without regulations against AI abuse, the greater the damage. I see the spread of AI-based fake news pushing us to the edge of a fact-based world unless we make a change now.”

When the flood of AI-generated fakes began taking over the platform last week, Company X did not respond to a request for comment on how many accounts have been delisted since the measure was introduced. Until recently, a number of It appears that Iranian officials were paying X For its premium service, which provided their accounts with blue checkmarks, boosted engagement, and created the possibility of earning money for their posts.