The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is exploring AI propaganda generator tools capable of producing propaganda, memes, and social media content to sway foreign audiences and suppress dissent.
A procurement document obtained by The Intercept reveals that the initiative is part of a broader Pentagon push to expand hybrid warfare into the digital realm.
The solicitation outlines the informational warfare systems capable of producing personalized tales en masse, a shift toward AI-driven influence operations. Analysts note the endeavor underscores US concerns that rivals like China and Russia have already started employing similar capabilities in their own disinformation efforts.
US Operations on How to Counter Russian Propaganda
SOCOM’s interest reflects a wider Pentagon strategy to blunt the impact of Russian and Chinese propaganda online. Defense experts note that AI psychological operations specialist systems would allow rapid monitoring of digital conversations and near-instant deployment of counter-narratives.
According to the document, digital influence on consumed information technology should enable a capability designed to undermine opposing viewpoints without direct human intervention. Industry sources say this is likely to involve AI propaganda generator models similar to commercial chatbots but adapted for psychological operations.
Critics, however, warn that automating propaganda media production with AI risks embedding biases and inflaming tensions.
“The global nature of digital platforms makes it difficult to ensure these tools only target foreign audiences,” one policy analyst told The Defense Post.
US law prohibits using such propaganda technology systems domestically, but oversight remains a challenge.
Congress has already scrutinized related AI in media manipulation programs, raising questions about safeguards, transparency, and the potential for spillovers into US online spaces.
Gen-AI Will Be the Center for Information Dominance
Beyond being able to create and counter propaganda, SOCOM’s wishlist includes AI psychological ops which enabled surveillance tools, sensors, and directed energy weapons. However, the integration of generative AI into influence operations represents a strategic priority: information dominance.
A 2024 RAND Corporation report identified the US lagging behind adversaries in AI-powered psychological warfare. The Pentagon has since launched an AI Rapid Capabilities Cell with $100 million in funding, which is partially devoted to influence-related technology.
For military planners, the appeal is speed and scale. Generative AI can generate tailored content far faster than human groups, enabling the US to shape narratives in real-time on a range of platforms.
“Advanced generative AI is seen as critical to an edge in online battlespaces,” according to The Defense Post.
However, AI propaganda generator utilization is accompanied by ethical and security hazards.
Critics warn that rivals can manipulate or capture the tools, whereas unregulated adoption risks eroding norms of civilized conflict. A report from Responsible Statecraft detailed the “dark side” of military AI, stating news creative automation for content creation has efficiency which must not overshadow ethics.
Whether framed as defense or manipulation, the Pentagon is forging a distinctive path and SOCOM’s roadmap will likely chart the course for the future of military information operations.
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