Pentagon Pals Pentagon-operated AI personas might be coming to an internet forum near you. As The Intercept reports, a wishlist put forward by the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) — a furtive counterterrorism group within the US Department of Defense (DoD) — reveals the agency’s interest in using generative AI to create fake online internet users. That’s despite the US government’s persistent warnings that deepfakes and other AI-generated content will deepen the misinformation crisis and lead to a muddier information ecosystem for everyone. In the document, JSOC explains that it’s seeking “technologies that can generate convincing online personas for use on social media platforms, social networking sites, and other online content” for use by Special Operations Forces. This “solution,” JSOC adds, “should include facial and background imagery, facial and background video, and audio layers.” According to the wishlist, JSOC wants SOF agents to “use this capability to gather information from public online forums.” In other words, JSOC wants to provide its special ops teams with the technology to create sophisticated, bespoke AI deepfakes, capable of convincing social media users that they’re the real deal for the sake of information-gathering efforts. AI Influenza On one hand, it’s not like intelligence personnel don’t lurk around online message boards and social media channels already. The Pentagon is also no stranger to external online influence campaigns. But the DoD’s continued focus on AI as a way to level up its digital surveillance and influence efforts is a noteworthy development in its approach to online intelligence operations. As The…The Pentagon Wants to Flood Social Media With Fake AI People