Europe faces rising disinformation via AI and hybrid warfare

Europe is facing a transforming landscape of disinformation characterized by hybrid warfare, AI-generated content, and geopolitical manipulation. Monitoring by the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) indicates that conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Gaza drive a significant portion of misinformation, accounting for over 50% of total detected content when combined.

Artificial intelligence plays a central role through the creation of synthetic images and manipulated videos used by various actors to provoke emotional responses. This technological shift exists alongside traditional methods, such as the recycling and decontextualizing of authentic footage.

In political spheres, particularly during electoral campaigns, aggressive language and digital tools like fake social media profiles are being used to construct perceived social enemies. This environment leverages social media and AI to spread propaganda and heighten political polarization.