Post by Euromaidan Press

A Russian operation is targeting search engines and AI chatbots with fake Wikipedia-style sites, media networks, and coordinated online content designed to shape how automated systems retrieve and generate information, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg News. Experts quoted by Bloomberg warn that targeting AI training data and search pipelines increases the risk that manipulated narratives will be reproduced by automated systems used to generate and summarize information. The files describe “Project 2026,” attributed to the Social Design Agency (SDA), a Moscow-based entity sanctioned by the US, UK, and EU over Kremlin-linked disinformation activity. The aim is to build alternative online knowledge ecosystems that can be indexed by search engines and absorbed into AI training data. The strategy expands beyond social media influence and focuses on embedding large volumes of coordinated content into the infrastructure behind AI systems and search indexing. The documents outline country-focused campaigns, including operations targeting Armenia and Germany, involving large-scale content production intended to influence search rankings and AI outputs. Researchers cited in the report describe the method as an attempt to “flood the zone” with interconnected narratives. The files also suggest the operation is structured as a long-term “cognitive warfare” system with performance targets, engagement metrics, and continuous content planning. 🔗Read more: https://lnkd.in/eZUM-Bdx