Bot groups associated with Russia are spreading messages about the threat of terrorist attacks at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
This is evidenced by the findings of the Microsoft corporation, according to The Insider.
In particular, bots spreading misinformation used the voice sound of actor Tom Cruise, generated using AI (artificial intelligence). As a result, the fake Tom Cruise voiced a video titled The Fall of the Olympic Games. Additionally, the video contained references to non-existent materials from The New York Times and BBC.
Researchers also discovered a fake account posing as the French media outlet France24. It spread a video claiming that a quarter of those who bought tickets to the Olympics are demanding refunds due to fear of a terrorist threat.
According to Microsoft, the influence campaign is orchestrated by bot networks Storm-1679 and Storm-1099. The corporation believes that the goal of pro-Russian groups is to deter people from attending the Olympic Games in Paris.
Microsoft researchers expect the activity of pro-Russian bots to increase in July. Most likely, the bots will increase the number of foreign languages and utilize AI to expand their coverage.
It is also reported that scaremongering about terrorist attacks in the French capital began in November 2023. At that time, a network referred to in the media as Doppelgänger spread a video in which terrorists threatened to repeat the attack on Jews at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
On Wednesday, May 22, French law enforcement arrested a Chechen man who was planning a terrorist attack at the Olympics.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukrainian boxer Dmytro Lovchynskyi received accreditation for the Olympic Games. He is the third boxer from the Ukrainian team to qualify for the 2024 Olympics.