Kremlin expands media training and AI use for influence

The Kremlin is expanding its media training programs to increase Moscow’s informational influence and promote Russian narratives globally. According to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), state agencies such as Sputnik and RT are utilizing platforms like SputnikPro and RT Academy to train a new generation of journalists and influencers. These programs specifically target regions including Moldova and Transnistria to consolidate informational control over occupied or supported territories.

A significant component of this strategy involves the use of artificial intelligence. ISW reports that these training modules include instruction on using AI to propagate favorable narratives.

In a related effort to conduct cognitive warfare, the Russian Ministry of Defense and military bloggers have been accused of using AI-generated or modified images to exaggerate military successes on the battlefield in Ukraine. Analysts suggest these tactics are part of a systematic campaign to create a false impression of significant territorial gains in regions such as Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia.