You are scrolling through a news feed and come across such a video, which looks completely real.

You feel anger, fear, or even panic — and you quickly forward it to your friends. And just a few hours later it turns out that this never happened, because it’s a fake created by artificial intelligence.

And that is how millions of people every day become victims of manipulation. In this video we will break down how modern misinformation works, how AI has changed the game, and what each of us can do to avoid getting caught in the trap.

What is misinformation

Misinformation is not just fake news. It is a deliberate strategy with a specific goal:

  • to sow panic,
  • to divide society,
  • to destroy trust,
  • to influence political decisions.

For example, in 2015, during the US elections, Russia used thousands of bots and fake pages to influence public opinion.

And in 2022, during the war in Ukraine, social networks were flooded with fake posts — from false news about battles to invented “betrayals” by politicians.

How the process of creating fakes has changed

Previously, to create a convincing fake, you needed a team of professionals, expensive programs, and weeks of work. Today — all of this can be done by one computer and a neural network.

AI learned to generate:

  • fake images, for example a fake photo of the explosion at the Pentagon that influenced the stock market,
  • news texts that can sow panic,
  • voices of famous people,
  • videos where people say things they never said.

You’ve seen generated images on Facebook that go viral very quickly.

AI-generated images can evoke strong emotions, especially if they depict brutal scenes, injured people, destruction, or death. Such visuals bypass logic and reasoning and hit straight at the emotions.

Disinformation during wartime

During wartime such images become part of propaganda. They are used to:

  • demoralize the army and civilians,
  • create an illusion of victories or defeats,
  • provoke chaos in the enemy’s rear.

How fakes go viral

But simply creating a fake is not enough. It needs to go viral. And this is where bot farms come into play.

Bot farms are thousands of fake accounts that operate around the clock. They:

  • spread news,
  • comment on posts,
  • create the illusion that “everyone” believes in this fake.

It is not chaos; it is a clearly organized system used by states and large organizations.

Fakes — a weapon

Fakes are not just lies. They are a weapon that can influence elections, erode trust in the government, and even change the course of war.

Artificial intelligence has made them stronger, but at the same time given us tools to fight back. The main thing is to stay vigilant and not let emotions steer us.