A “large coordinated attempt on social media” to spread pro-Russian, anti-vaccine, and anti-LGBT rhetoric ahead of the European elections in June 2024: this is what Dutch researchers described in a recent study.
It’s just one example among many others. Social media platforms are constantly flooded with disinformation, exaggerations, lies, conspiracy theories, and absurd or misinformed statements. This polarised noise is amplified by AI-generated fakes and sometimes
even manages to infiltrate global media, fuelled – intentionally or unintentionally – by zealous commentators.
In an environment of widespread distrust, confusion, interference, and heightened conflict in the digital public sphere, the time for building barriers against disinformation is over. We must now learn to "live with" disinformation, rethinking information warfare and collectively developing ways to respond to it.
Disinformation: an old tactic, now radically transformed
Disinformation spans a broad range of guises, including image manipulation and fake social media accounts, counterfeit websites that mimic news outlets, statements that are cut short or taken out of context, and deepfakes. This extensive list is
growing, and not only are the forms of disinformation multiplying, but its reach is also expanding.
Make no mistake: disinformation is a genuine weapon of war. It has encroached upon every aspect of our democracies and lives, constituting a systemic threat designed to amplify societal fractures, undermine trust, and instil universal scepticism. A Sopra
Steria/Ipsos poll carried out in February this year found 72% of French people were concerned about the impact of disinformation on the European elections. So, how can we build a society when all citizens are driven to suspicion,
even regarding verifiable facts?
The temptation might be to think that this is a new phenomenon, but disinformation is not a product of modern times: its roots stretch far back into history. Sun Tzu chronicled information manipulation in his celebrated work
"The Art of War" from the 4th century BC, and more sophisticated techniques were described in the early 20th century in the works of Walter Lippmann ("Public Opinion") and Edward Bernays ("Propaganda").
These techniques have progressively increased in significance, spreading widely during the World Wars and the Cold War.
The democratisation of the internet, followed by the rise of social media, has catapulted disinformation to the forefront of the communications battlefield: 88% of all fake news now spreads through online platforms, especially X and TikTok (DiNum, 2024). The
phenomenon was evident in Trump's first campaign, the Brexit vote (the Cambridge Analytica affair), the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russian interference operations such as the Doppelganger operation.
And AI is no stranger to this escalation.
Beyond the headlines: AI's complex role in disinformation
It’s clear that the rapid spread of disinformation parallels the rise of AI, especially generative AI. Moving away from misplaced techno-solutionism or technophobia, we can see that AI's impact is double-edged.
On one hand, the rise of generative AI has led to an unprecedented increase in the number and sophistication of information attacks. These attacks are asymmetrical: easy to initiate and difficult to defend against, due to their
scattered and deceptive tactics. They require minimal resources to launch and can have disproportionately large effects on public opinion and discourse. This ease of deployment, combined with their typically low intensity, makes them insidiously efficient
without drawing immediate or substantial counteraction.
Originally targeting major media and political figures, the focus of AI information attacks has now shifted to include the general public, making every online user a potential target. This expansion in target scope means that virtually anyone can unwittingly become a conduit for
spreading disinformation.
But on the other hand, AI brings hope. It offers the potential to imagine new solutions and scale existing ones to previously unimaginable levels.
Let's take fact-checking as an example. Over the last two decades, major media outlets—The Guardian, The New York Times, and Le Monde, to name a few— have heavily invested in journalist-driven fact-checking. The concept was promising, but the time and effort invested did not yield the expected results. The tremendous work done on verification, sourcing, and correction did not stop the proliferation of fake news.
Several factors contribute to this. First, the process is overly human-centric, too costly. Media and journalists also become targets for disinformation actors and conspiracy theorists. Most importantly, the attractiveness gap between the visibility of sensationalist
fake news and measured explanations seems impossible to bridge.
Looking back over the past few years, it is obvious that fact-checking, despite its merits, cannot single-handedly address the challenges of disinformation. But what if we leverage AI advancements to revitalise these techniques within a global and technological
framework? What if we strengthen and expand existing measures while developing new AI-driven strategies to fight disinformation?
Toward a new collective resilience
We believe that winning the war against disinformation requires uniting civil society, research, and the private sector around three key priorities.
1. Prioritising education and training
The rationale is inescapable: if everyone can be both a target and a conduit for disinformation, then everyone needs the ability to recognise and counter it. 74% of French people believe they can tell the difference between true and false information
on social media, but over 60% think their neighbours cannot (Sopra Steria/Ipsos poll, February 2024).
Starting education and awareness at school is essential. Media education, information literacy, and understanding opinion manipulation, and AI techniques are vital—not to instil fear but to provide a means to understand, question,
and develop critical-thinking skills.
Companies have a pivotal role to play. These efforts should be ongoing in organisations, much like cybersecurity protocols, and should be systematically arranged and enhanced. They must build trust through transparency, supported
by strong management, proactive leadership, and clear explanations of significant changes, internally and externally.
2. Holding social media platforms accountable
With 60% of French people relying solely on social media for their news (SSG/Ipsos poll, February 2024), fighting disinformation without the cooperation of major platforms is futile. It is imperative to bring them into discussions
and secure their active involvement in combating disinformation, by any means necessary. The rollout of regulation is increasing, spearheaded by the EU's AI Act. Legislators are arming themselves with tools for oversight
and sanctions, and they should not hesitate to employ them.
Platforms need to be responsible for their technological choices and the impacts they have. This entails addressing moderation challenges and recommendation algorithms that foster informational bubbles and enable the spread of disinformation.
3. Developing new countermeasures compliant with the DSA (Digital Services Act)
In the face of complex attacks that exploit the full potential of digital technology, we need to shift the balance of power through the extensive development of AI-driven tools to monitor and combat disinformation on social media, along
with establishing trust environments among all stakeholders.
At Sopra Steria, this mission fuels our daily efforts. Two examples stand out as particularly interesting.
At the Eurosatory International Defence and Security Exhibition, we unveiled the first elements of an information movement analysis system designed for conflict situations. Associated with a Command and Control (C2) centre, this system demonstrates how
monitoring and analysing information movements can be integrated into a multi-domain approach, enhancing the management of military operations and geopolitical challenges.
Together with partners, including numerous startups, we are also developing an end-to-end detection and response solution for businesses to counter information attacks, especially those generated by artificial intelligence.
This solution uses three main levers: cohort vigilance systems to detect weak signals, AI-powered subject detection systems to track all topics discussed on social media in real-time by cohort members, and influence forecasting to predict "growing"
topics based on engagement.
Combined with AI systems that specialise in detecting deepfakes and fact-checking services that blend human analysis with AI, these solutions are intended to empower organisations and states to be at the cutting-edge of the fight against disinformation.
However, let’s be clear: despite significant progress and effort expended in this areas, it would be naive to think that our modern democratic societies can entirely stop the disinformation campaigns generated by adversaries. We have entered a new era, and we must learn
to "live with" disinformation. This isn't about capitulation but about recognising the enemy for what it is—a sprawling and faceless foe, multifaceted and decentralised—and continuing the fight to understand both the content and the
manipulation processes, to respond collectively without ever compromising any aspect of citizens' freedom.
Discover why AI is nothing without you
At Sopra Steria, we believe AI’s true potential is unlocked with human collaboration. By blending human creativity with advanced AI technology, we empower people to address society’s most pressing challenges—from combating disease to mitigating climate change—while helping our clients achieve their digital transformation goals.
We emphasize critical thinking and education to ensure AI upholds core human values like respect and fairness, minimizing ethical risks. Together, we’ll create a future where AI inspires positive impact and enhances human brilliance. That's why we believe that AI is nothing without you!
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