Mark Twain famously quipped, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” Ironically, even this quote, intended to highlight the swift spread of falsehoods, has been misattributed to Twain himself – a precursor to the very phenomenon it warns us about: disinformation.

Disinformation is hardly new, yet its impact is undeniably amplified in the digital age. The rise of advanced AI and large language models has fundamentally altered the landscape of disinformation. While the 2020 US election cycle saw coordinated disinformation campaigns orchestrated by nation-states, the barriers to entry have since dropped precipitously. Meanwhile, the integration of AI tools in creating and spreading false narratives has made it easier and more effective. And thanks to the proliferation of affordable bot networks, the ability to weaponize disinformation is no longer the exclusive province of well-funded nation-states. 

This democratization of disinformation poses a real threat not only to our democracy, but also to brands across every sector. Consider the plight of election equipment manufacturers whose reputations were battered by baseless conspiracy theories. Or even the online brand Wayfair, which found itself swept up in a web of lies. 

As Paul Kolbe observed, “compared to government targets, the private sector has an even richer and larger playing field and a far more vulnerable audience. And it’s only going to get worse.”

How AI-Enabled Bots Amplify the Noise

While the terms misinformation and disinformation are often used interchangeably, they’re in fact very different animals. Misinformation is often unintentional, spread by people who genuinely believe it to be true. Disinformation, meanwhile, is a deliberate act, crafted and disseminated with the aim of misleading, manipulating, or even causing harm. Think of it as a lie masquerading as truth, a weapon wielded with malicious intent.

This weapon becomes all the more potent when paired with a modern bot network, as it amplifies the reach and impact of disinformation at an unprecedented scale. Today’s bot networks are able to create accounts at scale, engage with content in a seemingly human way, and even generate original personalized text, all at a fraction of the cost it once took. 

Despite their efforts, social media platforms have struggled to contain the tide of bot-driven disinformation. Their algorithms, designed to keep users engaged, often end up rewarding inflammatory content  – the very things bots excel at producing. In an attempt to stem this tide, platforms like X have introduced measures such as charging for verified accounts.

However, this strategy has had limited success in curbing the influence of bots. That’s because many of the most prevalent bot-driven attacks, including Account Takeovers (ATOs) and credential stuffing occur outside the traditional log-in process performed by users who haven’t logged in yet. Advanced bot networks also avoid detection by employing aged “sock puppet” accounts which, unlike new accounts that are easily flagged as suspicious, have been carefully cultivated over time to appear legitimate.

So what can brands do in the face of this evolving threat and how might they protect themselves from becoming the next victim of a coordinated disinformation campaign?

3 Ways Brands Can Keep Bots & Disinformation at Bay

While brands may feel at the mercy of the platforms, there are some proactive steps they can take to mitigate the risks and protect themselves:

1. Proactively Monitor Social Platforms

To stay ahead of the disinformation curve, proactive social media monitoring is essential. Investing in robust tools that go beyond surface-level keyword searches and delve into the intricate web of online conversations is a good first step. These tools can analyze vast swathes of data, identify suspicious spikes in activity, and detect patterns that indicate bot activity. Real-time alerts tuned to specific keywords, hashtags, and shifts in online sentiment around your brand offer early warning of potential disinformation campaigns, allowing for swift action before they escalate. 

2. Embrace the Power of AI & ML

As bot-driven disinformation tactics evolve, so too must the methods to counter them. Just as disinformation agents leverage AI algorithms to fine-tune their strategies and create more convincing fake content, organizations must harness similar technological advancements to stay one step ahead. This involves deploying sophisticated AI models for anomaly detection, sentiment analysis, and network behavior analysis, which can discern between authentic interactions and those orchestrated by bots. 

3. Collaborate with the Gatekeepers

The battle against bot-driven disinformation can’t be fought in isolation. The platforms that host these online communities bear a significant responsibility to take a more proactive approach in detecting and preventing the creation of fake accounts, which is the root cause of spreading disinformation at scale. By employing modern techniques that can invisibly detect the use of automation at login, these platforms can effectively curb these activities from the get-go.

Today’s hyper-connectivity heightens the threat of bot-driven disinformation, making it harder to distinguish truth from lies. As these technologies spread falsehoods rapidly, we must all become vigilant in ensuring truth prevails.

The post How Bots and AI Are Fueling Disinformation appeared first on Kasada.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Kasada authored by Neil Cohen. Read the original post at: https://www.kasada.io/how-bots-and-ai-fuel-disinformation/