Influence operations and synthetic media — overview

Influence operations try to shape what large groups believe or do—often by flooding channels with persuasive content. Generative AI lowers the cost of producing text, images, audio, and video that look authentic.

Governments, researchers, and platforms have publicly discussed AI-generated content in disinformation and fraud contexts. Consumer agencies warn about deepfake celebrity endorsements and political-looking media used to manipulate (see FCC deepfake consumer guidance). Treat any single viral claim as unverified until checked.

This page does not provide playbooks for running covert campaigns.

You vote, buy, and share. Synthetic media can steal attention and trust. Media literacy is civic infrastructure.

• Check primary sources before resharing outrage content
• Reverse-search images; be wary of “too perfect” clips
• Diversify news sources; prefer outlets with corrections policies
• For elections, use official election-office information

⚠️ Myth: Only other countries’ citizens are vulnerable.

✓ Reality: Persuasion targets whoever can be reached cheaply.

⚠️ Myth: If it is on video, it happened.

✓ Reality: Synthetic video exists; provenance matters.

• FCC deepfake consumer guide: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/deep-fake-audio-and-video-links-make-robocalls-and-scam-texts-harder-spot ↗
• FTC AI impersonation materials: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/02/ftc-proposes-new-protections-combat-ai-impersonation-individuals ↗
• Course 20 (society) for broader policy context