INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES au NEWSLETTER SIGNUP My account Log Out Aug 19, 11:15 AM AEST Business News Sports Technology Entertainment NEWSLETTER My account Log Out Australia edition Business News Sports Technology Entertainment Editions Australia India International Singapore United Kingdom United States NEWSLETTER Follow Us Editions Australia India International Singapore United Kingdom United States Politics & Policy Pro-Russia 'News' Sites Spew Incendiary US Election Falsehoods By Anuj CHOPRA Published 08/19/24 AT 11:15 AM AEST Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Share on Flipboard Share on Pocket Bogus 'news' sites are amplifying US election disinformation. AFP Pro-Kremlin sites masquerading as US "news" outlets have dished out unfounded claims that Democrats plotted to assassinate Donald Trump, a prime example of how phony AI-powered portals are spewing inflammatory falsehoods in a high-stakes election year. Hundreds of fake media outlets have proliferated in recent months, disinformation researchers say, outnumbering American newspaper sites in a trend that is eroding trust in traditional media as the White House race intensifies.
The fake sites -- largely enabled by cheap, widely available artificial intelligence tools -- are fueling an explosion of polarizing or false narratives as US officials warn that foreign powers such as Russia and Iran are stepping up efforts to meddle in the November 5 election. Earlier this month, a network.