COP28: Sex, Lies, and AI in Dubai. A coordinated campaign to promote the upcoming UN climate summit, Cop28, and its designated president, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, may be underway. BBC journalist Marco Silva has reported that over 100 pro-United Arab Emirates (UAE) accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, could be part of an AI-generated network to promote the Emirati president and oil chief. The accounts, which appear to be run by young women who post about travel and hijab fashion, have published over 500 tweets promoting the conference set to be held in Dubai in November.

Silva’s investigation found that some of the accounts have been quick to rebuke tweets critical of the event. The accounts could have been AI-generated as part of a coordinated campaign to promote the UAE ahead of the UN summit. This type of behavior suggests a degree of coordination commonly seen in organized networks of fake accounts.

However, it remains unclear who is running the accounts or even why. The UAE and Cop28 organizers have denied involvement in the network. In June, a digital disinformation analyst reported a “large multilingual astroturfing effort around #Cop28” on X. He found that the suspect profiles employed stock photos, tagging legitimate accounts in their bios, including some that were verified.

COP28: Sex, Lies, and AI in Dubai

Posts ranged from praise of the UAE’s green credentials, attacks on the Muslim Brotherhood, and messages thanking the UAE for delivering aid to Sudan. The use of fake accounts to promote political agendas is not a new phenomenon. However, it is concerning that such tactics are being used to influence discussions on climate change, an issue that affects us all.

It is important that social media platforms take steps to identify and remove fake accounts and prevent them from being used for political purposes. Additionally, individuals must be vigilant in their consumption of information and question the sources of information they encounter online.

In conclusion, while the use of fake accounts to promote political agendas is not new, it is concerning that such tactics are being used to influence discussions on climate change. It is imperative that social media platforms take steps to identify and remove fake accounts and prevent them from being used for political purposes. Individuals must also be vigilant in their consumption of information and question the sources of information they encounter online.

Written by Eagle