Network 'Pravda': How Russia Manipulates Western Chatbots for Its Propaganda.

According to a study by the NewsGuard organization, most responses from AI-powered virtual assistants contain Russian disinformation.

Researchers claim that this is linked to the 'Pravda' network, which spreads pro-Russian propaganda across the globe, reports Der Spiegel.

'A massive amount of Russian propaganda - 3,600,000 articles in 2024 - infiltrates the results of Western AI systems, infecting their responses with false assertions and propaganda,' researchers write in their report.

NewsGuard conducted a study of the ten most prominent AI applications, including ChatGPT-4, Smart Assistant, Grok, Copilot, Meta AI, Google Gemini, and Perplexity. All these applications reproduce the disinformation spread by 'Pravda'. Furthermore, seven chatbots point to 'Pravda' articles as sources.

According to the researchers, 'Pravda' influences chatbots by saturating them with large language models (LLMs). This allows them to generate responses based on fake news. This method is called 'LLM grooming'. The study shows that AI chatbots not only spread disinformation from the Internet but also consciously influence users.

Another study by the nonprofit organization American Sunlight Project warns about the spread of the 'Pravda' network, also known as 'Portal Kombat'.

'The ability of the Pravda network to disseminate disinformation on such a scale is unprecedented, and the potential to influence artificial intelligence makes this threat even more dangerous,' said Nina Jankowicz, executive director of the American Sunlight Project. 'With the spread of Russian influence, the threat to democratic discussions worldwide is increasing.'

Experts believe that Russian disinformation is particularly dangerous now as the U.S. is taking no action against it. U.S. Defense Secretary Hegset has temporarily suspended cyber operations against Russia, and all operations against Moscow are under review.

The 'Pravda' network emerged in April 2022, following the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and has been growing continuously. According to NewsGuard, it operates in 49 countries and uses dozens of languages.

'Pravda' does not create its own content but utilizes articles from Russian state media or credible figures sympathetic to the Kremlin. The network spreads these articles millions of times via platforms like X, Telegram, and Bluesky.

One of the false narratives is the claim of secret laboratories in the U.S. for the production of biological weapons in Ukraine.