The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions against Iranian and Russian entities for deploying advanced AI tools and cyber technologies to interfere in the 2024 US presidential election. The sanctions target the Cognitive Design Production Center (CDPC), an affiliate of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Moscow-based Centre for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE), linked to Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).
“The Governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns,” said the US Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Acting Under Secretary Bradley Smith. “The United States will remain vigilant against adversaries who would undermine our democracy.”
Advanced AI and cyber techniques used in disinformation campaigns
According to OFAC, the Centre for Geopolitical Expertise utilised generative AI to produce and disseminate disinformation aimed at influencing the US electorate. The AI tools reportedly enabled the creation of deepfake videos and fabricated news articles that were distributed through a network of more than 100 websites. These websites were designed to imitate legitimate media outlets, making it difficult for readers to identify the content’s false origin.
To support this operation, CGE developed AI-powered servers capable of hosting large volumes of AI-generated disinformation. OFAC noted that the servers were deliberately designed to bypass foreign web-hosting services, ensuring uninterrupted operation. Financial support from the GRU allowed CGE to maintain this infrastructure and coordinate its activities, including payments to personnel and US-based facilitators involved in the campaign.
OFAC stated that this coordinated effort included not only the use of AI but also sophisticated cyber techniques, enabling rapid content production and wide dissemination. The GRU’s financial backing reportedly extended to the procurement of server technology and the rental of premises to house the servers, highlighting the operational scale of the initiative.
The Treasury Department’s sanctions office also detailed the role of the Cognitive Design Production Center in cyber-enabled operations aimed at undermining US elections. The organisation, linked to the IRGC, reportedly used social engineering techniques to compromise the accounts of individuals connected to both US presidential campaigns. This included accessing sensitive information, which was then exploited to influence public perception.
The CDPC’s operations, according to OFAC, were part of broader efforts to sow discord and manipulate voter sentiment. The sanctions against CDPC freeze its US-based assets and prohibit American entities from engaging with the organisation.
As a result of these sanctions, the designated entities’ operations in the US are effectively blocked. OFAC emphasised that US persons and businesses are prohibited from facilitating any transactions or services involving these entities. Non-compliance with these regulations could result in further penalties.
In September 2024, US intelligence officials reported increased efforts by Russia, China, and Iran to use AI-generated content to influence the 2024 presidential elections. According to representatives from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), operatives from Russia and Iran were observed employing generative AI to mislead voters and incite discord. While generative AI improved certain aspects of these campaigns, such as multilingual content translation, officials described it as a “malign influence accelerant” rather than a transformative tool. Despite producing large volumes of propaganda, these nations, as per the US officials, faced significant challenges in evading detection tools and fully exploiting AI for voter deception.
Read more: Foreign threat actors struggle to use generative AI in cyberattacks, claim US officials
