Russia-Linked AI Videos Target US Senate Candidates Ahead Of Midterm Elections

Social media videos suspected of having Russian links are using artificial intelligence (AI) and real people's names and photographs to spread false claims about two Democratic Senate candidates ahead of the US midterm elections.

The videos target Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Republican Senator Jon Husted in Ohio, and James Talarico, who is running against Republican Ken Paxton for a Texas Senate seat. Both clips appear to contain AI-generated or manipulated material designed to make fabricated allegations appear credible, according to The Associated Press.

One video features a fake newscast containing photographs of former Brown staff members, including Haya Akbik, who interned for him several years ago. Akbik told the AP that the claims attributed to her were “completely made up”, adding that the video damaged her reputation and could harm the senator. She called for Congress to regulate misleading AI-generated content online.

The video targeting Talarico is presented as a direct-to-camera confession by a former student. His spokesperson, JT Ennis, accused those behind the material of using AI deepfakes, foreign bots and conspiracy theories to spread falsehoods.

The videos highlight concerns about foreign interference in American elections and AI's ability to make fabricated content appear authentic. Social media platform X removed the original posts and suspended the accounts responsible for violating its rules. However, copies remained online on Tuesday, some with hundreds of shares, demonstrating how difficult election-related disinformation is to contain.

Darren Linvill, a Clemson University professor and media forensics expert, identified similarities with Storm-1516, a Russian-linked disinformation network that targeted former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in 2024. Linvill said accounts sharing the latest videos had also circulated earlier Storm-1516 content, suggesting a possible connection.

The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Russia has previously denied interfering in US elections. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also did not immediately respond.

Hany Farid, a Dartmouth College professor specialising in AI deepfakes, said his analysis indicated both videos were likely generated or manipulated using AI. He described the Brown video as a relatively low-tech fake and said the Talarico clip was likely AI-generated, resembling disinformation campaigns released close to Election Day.