Folks, I’m sipping my coffee and reading about the latest shenanigans from Iran, and I’ve got to say, it’s a wild ride. Operatives in Iran used some fancy tech to plant news articles critical of the US war against Iran in multiple US media outlets. I mean, you can’t blame them for trying, but it’s just so… amateur hour. OpenAI said on Thursday that about a dozen outlets around the world ran roughly 100 articles by seven fake journalists. Yeah, because that’s exactly what I want to read – fake news written by fake people.
I’m looking at the list of outlets that got duped, and none of them are major mainstream news outlets, but some of them have a sizable online following. One of them, Middle East Monitor, has almost two million followers on Facebook. I guess that’s what they mean by “going viral.” The articles themselves had some pretty provocative titles, like “Is America’s Iran Policy Being Privatized? The Jared Kushner Question” and “The Iran War and the Collapse of Western Moral Credibility.” Wow, that sounds like some serious clickbait.
It’s not like this is the first time we’ve seen AI being used in propaganda battles. Young Iranians have also used AI to make viral Lego-themed videos mocking US leaders, while President Donald Trump has posted AI-generated videos depicting US strikes on Iran. I mean, who needs real news when you can just generate your own, right? The LA Progressive, which describes itself as an “independent, justice-driven publication” based in Los Angeles, even published an article about Kushner and US foreign policy. CNN has requested comment from LA Progressive, but I’m not holding my breath.
Daud Abdullah, Director of the Middle East Monitor, told CNN he will look into the articles OpenAI flagged and “take the appropriate action.” Yeah, sure, buddy. After the articles published, the Iranian operatives asked ChatGPT to generate comments they could post on social media purporting to be people reacting to the articles. Because what’s more convincing than a bunch of fake people commenting on fake news? The users asked for comments on topics such as missile strikes, ceasefires, and diplomatic maneuvering, specifying outputs that portrayed the US as the aggressor, Israel as an unreliable ally of the US, and Iran as a defiant but resilient victim. Oh, please.
Jessica Brandt, who ran the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s now-shuttered Foreign Malign Influence Center from 2023 to 2025, said it’s remarkable that the Iranians managed to land their content in real media outlets, expanding the potential reach of their campaign. Well, yeah, I guess that’s one way to look at it. Brandt told CNN that we’re witnessing AI enable foreign adversaries to better hide their hand, building more sophisticated false fronts than they might otherwise be able to in order to launder their content through authentic channels, leveraging those channels for reach. Wow, that’s a mouthful.
OpenAI’s findings show how AI is increasingly being used to shape perceptions of war. This spring, a false AI-assisted US intelligence report about a purported Chinese ship transporting nuclear components almost led the US military to board the ship. Yeah, because that wouldn’t have ended well. It’s just another day in the world of fake news and propaganda, folks. So, the next time you’re reading something online, just remember – it might not be real, but it’s definitely entertaining. And that’s the truth, or at least, that’s what I’ve been told. 😊
In conclusion, the whole situation is just a big mess, and I’m not sure what’s real and what’s not anymore. But hey, at least it’s making for some interesting reading. I mean, who needs reality TV when you have fake news and propaganda, right? The Iranians might have gotten away with planting some fake articles, but at least we can all have a good laugh about it. And that’s the most important thing, folks – being able to laugh at ourselves and the absurdity of it all. So, let’s all just take a deep breath, grab another cup of coffee, and enjoy the show.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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