An investigation conducted by OpenAI has unveiled attempts by the Israeli company STOIC to interfere in India's recent Lok Sabha elections by promoting an anti-BJP agenda. Dubbed "Zero Zeno," this covert influence operation was part of STOIC's broader campaign to manipulate public opinion in various countries, including Canada, the United States, Israel, and Ghana.
Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), the operation generated web articles and social media comments, which were then distributed across platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and others. Targeting Indian audiences, the content aimed to criticize the ruling BJP party while praising the opposition Congress party. However, this campaign was detected and thwarted within less than 24 hours of its commencement.
Zero Zeno employed various tactics to create the illusion of authenticity and engagement. It utilized AI to fabricate fictional personas and social media profiles tailored to specific demographic variables like age, gender, and location. Additionally, fake accounts were established to interact with the operation's posts, attempting to simulate genuine audience engagement.
The campaign's content was segmented into different thematic clusters, addressing local issues such as the Gaza conflict and Jewish-Muslim relations, as well as political scenarios in various regions. In India, the comments criticized the BJP and supported the Congress party. Other clusters included content opposing Hamas and Qatar, as well as endorsing Israel and the Histadrut, an Israeli trade union.
Despite its efforts, the Zero Zeno campaign failed to garner significant engagement from real users, with most interactions originating from the operation's own inauthentic accounts. Many social media platforms, including Meta and X, have already taken action to disable these accounts, thereby limiting the campaign's reach and impact.
In response to the report, IT and electronics minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar expressed strong concern, stating, "It is absolutely clear and obvious that @BJP4India was and is the target of influence operations, misinformation and foreign interference, being done by and/or on behalf of some Indian political parties."
He emphasized the threat posed to democracy and called for a thorough investigation into the matter. Chandrasekhar also criticized the timing of the report's release, suggesting that such information should have been disclosed earlier in the election process.
