The United States Treasury has imposed sanctions on Iranian and Russian entities accused of attempting to influence the 2024 US presidential election through artificial intelligence-driven disinformation campaigns. The move targets a subsidiary of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a Russian group affiliated with military intelligence.
In an official statement, the Treasury accused these entities of using AI to generate and disseminate false narratives aimed at creating sociopolitical tensions and misleading the American electorate. The Russian group, identified as the Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE), allegedly operated a network of over 100 fake news websites to amplify disinformation and fabricate false accusations against a vice-presidential candidate for 2024. CGE, funded by controversial Russian figure Aleksandr Dugin, had been sanctioned by the US in 2015 for prior interference activities.
The Iranian Cognitive Design Production Center, a subsidiary of the IRGC, was also sanctioned for conducting influence operations targeting the US election. Both entities are accused of exploiting advanced technology to obscure their origins while mimicking legitimate news outlets to propagate falsehoods.
Treasury Acting Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith condemned these operations, stating, “The Governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns. The United States will remain vigilant against adversaries who would undermine our democracy.”
Although the sanctioned groups are considered minor economic players, the action underscores escalating tensions between the US and its adversaries. These sanctions highlight ongoing efforts to safeguard democratic processes from foreign interference leveraging cutting-edge technologies.
