Artificial intelligence offers enormous promise to address a number of societal challenges, but it can also exacerbate existing ones. This latter concern is especially relevant when examining the amplifying effects AI may have on disinformation campaigns. AI is poised to alter the course of future disinformation campaigns, offering new capabilities that can increase their speed, volume and reach, and tailoring messaging to target audiences more precisely. 

CSET recently published a pair of reports outlining a model, RICHDATA, for describing the “disinformation kill chain” and how AI-enabled techniques will enhance and exacerbate various stages in it. 

The reports’ author, CSET Research Fellow Katerina Sedova, and John Bansemer, CSET Senior Fellow and Director of the CyberAI Project, discussed this research and recommendations for countering the threat of automated disinformation. 

Recording and Discussion

Participants

Katerina Sedova is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), where she works on the CyberAI Project. Most recently, she advised Sen. Maggie Hassan on cybersecurity and technology policy issues and drafted key legislation as a TechCongress fellow with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Previously, she published research and advised projects on disinformation, state-sponsored information operations and OSINT for the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence, the Department of State and the Department of Defense. She started her career at Microsoft, where she led engineering teams in the security, networking and performance components of the internet browsing platform. She was named as an inventor on multiple patents awarded to Microsoft. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from California State University and an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, where she focused on strategic competition and engagement in the cyber domain, Russia, Ukraine and NATO. She speaks Ukrainian and Russian.

John Bansemer is the Director of the CyberAI Project and Senior Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). In addition to his work at CSET, he is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.  Prior to joining CSET, John served in a variety of cyber, space and intelligence positions within the U.S. Air Force before retiring as a Lieutenant General. His last role was serving as the Assistant Director for National Intelligence, Partner Engagement, within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Prior to that assignment, he served as the Deputy Chief, Central Security Service, at the National Security Agency. He also held a variety of staff positions including on the Air Staff and the National Security Council staff. His joint experience includes serving as the director of intelligence at European Command. John holds a master’s degree in computer science from James Madison University and was a national defense fellow at Harvard University. He received his B.S. in Computer Science and Statistics from Roanoke College.