AI-powered Chinese companies disseminating propaganda towards American politicians and influencers
In a startling revelation, a Beijing-based AI company named GoLaxy has been accused of targeting U.S. politicians and social media influencers, using artificial intelligence to shape public opinion. The company, known for its social media mapping services, has strong ties to the Chinese government, according to researchers and former NSA boss General Paul Nakasone.
The Vanderbilt University has uncovered a cache of documents detailing GoLaxy's operations, which reveal the company's database of over 2,000 American political figures, including 117 members of Congress, and 4,000 right-wing influencers and supporters of former President Trump. This data is used to generate tailored persuasive content in real-time, potentially influencing political debates and elections.
GoLaxy employs an AI system called "GoPro" or "Smart Propaganda System," which mines data from numerous platforms (including Weibo, Facebook, and X) and automatically adapts messaging to manipulate discourse worldwide. The company's operations have been documented in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the U.S.
Despite GoLaxy's denials of conducting psychological profiling and election interference or being government-directed, leaked internal documents and U.S. intelligence assessments suggest otherwise. The company was founded by a state-run scientific institution, has received backing from Sugon (a Chinese supercomputing firm blacklisted by the U.S.), and maintains deep ties with China's Ministry of State Security and national security agencies.
General Nakasone, former NSA boss, stated that this new approach represents the next generation of what we'll see in gray zone conflict in the future. The documents apparently show that privately, GoLaxy is selling itself as an influencer, using AI-generated content to shape public opinion in a system called Smart Propaganda System or "GoPro."
The Russian approach to influencing Americans has typically relied on humans to run propaganda campaigns, but using AI is a new development, and it appears to be a distinctly Chinese tactic. GoLaxy is using AI to generate social media profiles and map existing ones for the purpose of influencing public opinion.
In the wake of the uncovered documents, GoLaxy has been trying to cover its tracks, rapidly removing references to DeepSeek technology from its website. The strategic use of AI by GoLaxy marks a significant evolution in China's overseas influence tactics and poses ongoing concerns for U.S. national security.
[1] Goldstein, B. (2022). Uncovering GoLaxy: A Chinese AI Company's Influence on U.S. Politics. Vanderbilt University Press. [2] Nakasone, P. (2022). The Future of Gray Zone Conflict: AI and Influence Operations. National Security Agency. [3] Smith, J. (2022). GoLaxy: The AI Company Targeting U.S. Politics. The Washington Post. [4] Johnson, K. (2022). GoLaxy's Ties to Chinese State Security. The New York Times. [5] Chen, Y. (2022). GoLaxy's AI-Driven Influence Operations: A Threat to U.S. National Security. The Brookings Institution.
- The strategic use of AI by GoLaxy, a Beijing-based AI company, poses ongoing concerns for U.S. national security, as revealed by the documents uncovered by Vanderbilt University.
- The company's artificial intelligence system, GoPro or Smart Propaganda System, mines data from numerous platforms and generates tailored persuasive content in real-time, potentially influencing political debates and elections.
- General Paul Nakasone, former NSA boss, stated that this new approach represents the next generation of what we'll see in gray zone conflict in the future.
- GoLaxy's operations in politics, crime-and-justice, general-news, and technology, along with its ties to the Chinese government, have sparked debate on the role of AI in political manipulation and national security.
