Russia, Iran and China use AI to amplify disinformation ahead of midterms

Russia, Iran and China are using generative AI to push disinformation at American voters ahead of the US midterm elections, Bloomberg reported on October 14, 2026. The midterms are scheduled for November 3, 2026. That leaves less than three weeks for platforms, AI companies and US officials to figure out how much of this content is out there, and who it is aimed at. Who is doing what According to the research findings, all three governments’ affiliated networks have turned to mainstream generative AI products, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. Intelligence assessments from US agencies and independent analysts indicate the goal is not a single knockout blow. Instead, the operations aim to widen political divides, chip away at public trust in the election process and inflame tensions that already exist. Russia is the most visible actor. A Russian-linked network known as Matryoshka, also tracked as Operation Overload and Storm-1679, has been spreading AI-manipulated videos since early September 2026. Its output includes deepfakes of celebrities criticizing Democratic figures. It has also produced fabricated news clips styled to look like they came from established out...