As Europe approaches crucial parliamentary elections, far-right parties and activists are increasingly deploying artificial intelligence to create misleading content aimed at stoking fears around immigration and other hot-button issues.
Recent investigations reveal a concerning trend of AI-generated images being used across Western Europe without proper disclosure of their artificial nature. These images often promote anti-immigration narratives and conspiracy theories, raising alarm among experts monitoring political disinformation.
Meta's oversight board recently launched an investigation into this phenomenon, specifically examining an AI-generated anti-immigration post from a German account on Facebook. This case highlights the growing challenge of managing AI content on social media platforms.
"What we are seeing is the tip of the iceberg," notes Salvatore Romano, head of research at AI Forensics. His organization has tracked AI-generated content from multiple far-right parties, including France's National Rally and Les Patriotes.
The trend spans multiple European countries, with similar tactics observed in Italy, Ireland, and the UK. In Italy, far-right groups have deployed AI-generated deception showing women and children eating insects to promote conspiracy theories about "global elites." Irish far-right accounts have circulated fabricated images of law enforcement disrespecting national symbols.
William Allchorn, senior research fellow at Anglia Ruskin University, points out that AI technology's accessibility makes it particularly attractive to fringe political groups. "AI lowers the barriers to entry for creating content. You don't need coding skills or anything like that to generate these images," he explains.
A notable pattern has emerged where far-right organizations consistently avoid using watermarks or identifiers on AI-generated images, making it difficult for viewers to distinguish between real and artificial content.
While mainstream political parties have shown restraint in using AI for official campaigns due to ethical concerns, far-right groups appear less constrained by such considerations. This disparity raises questions about the need for stronger regulations and better detection methods for AI-generated political content.
The proliferation of these tactics across European borders has created a shared aesthetic in AI-generated disinformation, making it increasingly challenging for social media users to identify and verify authentic content.