China may use AI-generated content for its benefit as India, US go to polls: Microsoft
New Delhi, Apr 6: With major economies like India and the US going to polls this year, China is likely to use AI-generated content to benefit its interests, software major Microsoft has alleged in a blog.
The blog is based on Microsoft Threat Intelligence insights in the latest East Asia report "Same targets, new playbooks: East Asia threat actors employ unique methods".
"With major elections taking place around the world this year, particularly in India, South Korea and the United States, we assess that China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content to benefit its interests," the blog said.
The report even mentions North Korean cyber threat actors also working towards targeting elections in these three countries.
According to Microsoft findings, the chances of the AI-generated content by China affecting election results will remain low but continued experimentation, augmenting memes etc may prove effective down the line.
"Despite the chances of such content affecting election results remaining low, China's increasing experimentation in augmenting memes, videos, and audio will likely continue and may prove more effective down the line," the blog said.
Government quickly sprung into action to check AI-generated deepfakes after a fake video of Bollywood actor Rashmika Mandanna went viral.
Further, the Ministry of Electronics and IT issued dedicated guidelines for AI-generated content after a controversy erupted over a response of Google's AI platform to queries related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Microsoft's threat intelligence report shared screenshots of AI-generated videos in Mandarin and English which alleged that the US and India were responsible for unrest in Myanmar.
The report claims that it has found China-based threat actors continue to target entities related to China's economic and military interests.
The company's threat intelligence team claims to have observed targets of a China-based cyber attackers group Flx Typhoon in the Philippines, Hong Kong, India, and the United States in the early fall and winter of 2023.
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TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
