Russian-aligned sources created and spread a fabricated story claiming two British Army colonels were captured in Ukraine, using AI-generated images and fictional identities to support the false narrative.
On August 4, 2024, the Russian outlet EADaily published a fabricated story claiming that 'Colonels Edward Blake and Richard Carroll' were captured by Russian special forces during a covert mission in Ukraine. The story originated from Russian-aligned sources and was echoed by the Norwegian website Steigan.no. The report included a demonstrably fake AI-generated photograph purporting to show the two officers with passports and military equipment. The image contained multiple clear indicators of AI generation, including gibberish text on the passports that appeared convincing from a distance but was meaningless upon scrutiny, incorrect military uniform details, overly uniform lighting, and similar-looking masked soldiers in the background. The names of the alleged colonels do not appear in any Ministry of Defence records, military directories, or public records. No reputable Western, Ukrainian, or international media outlets reported the story, and there were no official announcements from the UK Ministry of Defence, NATO, or international bodies. Despite the lack of evidence, the story spread on Telegram channels, conspiracy forums, and fringe websites. Former MP George Galloway amplified the story on X (formerly Twitter) to over a million followers without providing additional sources or verification.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
Using AI systems to conduct large-scale disinformation campaigns, malicious surveillance, or targeted and sophisticated automated censorship and propaganda, with the aim of manipulating political processes, public opinion, and behavior.
AI system
Due to a decision or action made by an AI system
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed