China, Iran, Israeli groups weaponize AI for first-of-their-kind social media influence campaigns

SEPTEMBER 19, 2026 10:30Updated: SEPTEMBER 19, 2026 10:31Iran, China, and groups from Israel used artificial intelligence to operate thousands of fake accounts, creating first-of-their-kind AI-powered influence campaigns across social media, according to an investigation published by The New York Times.The countries and firms used AI to intensify the scale of online campaigns beyond what verified human users could organically achieve, US officials told the NYT.The firms reportedly turned to Chinese “open-source” AI models, which users can download and modify for custom purposes. The firms then used those open-source models to create “agents,” bots with the autonomy to operate software and complete tasks on their own without constant prompting.The New York Times explained that once hundreds of those AI agents were let loose on the internet, they autonomously opened networks of fake accounts on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, and TikTok.The AI agents then rapidly populated the fake profiles with false information relating to politics and current events.DeepSeek (credit: gettyimages)First time Chinese models were used like thisUS officials told the NYT that these instances marked one of the first times AI agents from Chinese-produced models were used to handle every stage of an online influence campaign, from creating new fake accounts to coordinating messaging and framing online.Unlike proprietary AI models, the open-source models were manipulated by developers to allow the agents to evade safeguards designed to verify users and prevent the manipulation of online discourse, the US officials added.The US intelligence community, along with cybersecurity experts, looked into the groups behind the AI-powered campaigns and traced those efforts back to state-backed Chinese and Iranian groups, as well as to Israeli campaigns stemming from two private firms.Kyle Crichton, a fellow at the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology who studies AI and cybersecurity, told the NYT that “Agent-led campaigns” will likely become more common as the technology spreads.“Agents can be fairly sophisticated, and so in addition to just scale, they have an ability to blend in and look more like a human user,” he said.The investigation was published in the wake of other major technology news, as AI leaders warned of the risks of developing AI too quickly and without proper safety measures. These warnings followed public concern over recent stories of AI models going rogue and hacking other companies.In a report last month, Meta said it had seen a “technically significant development” of bad actors using AI for malicious purposes.AI is now “embedded within automated systems that can produce, adapt, and distribute content with minimal human intervention,” Meta added.The investigation also traced AI-agent campaigns back to IsraelThe report mentioned that IntelEye, a Tel Aviv-based company founded by former NSO Group employees, operated roughly 1,000 AI-powered fake accounts on social media to manipulate political discourse around the upcoming Israeli elections.The company used DeepSeek, a Chinese open-source AI model, to create its agents. According to the investigation, the bots then published content both supporting and opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.IntelEye disputed claims that its work was intended to influence online discussions, stating the company was conducting a defensive research experiment to expose weaknesses in AI systems.“IntelEye does not operate influence campaigns,” co-founder Maor Sellek told the Times. “Our work with DeepSeek was conducted for defensive research and testing, to understand how models with insufficient safeguards could be misused and to improve detection of that activity.”Sellek said IntelEye bought 10,000 social media accounts and handed over control to autonomous AI agents, though he added that only about 1,000 of the accounts were operational.The agents used the accounts to leave comments on posts to boost engagement, although Sellek said they were not very successful.Meta told the New York Times that the vast majority of the AI-powered agents set up on Facebook and Instagram by IntelEye, other companies, and state-backed groups had been removed by its automated detection and verification systems.Follow us on Google