AI operation on social media by Israel-based companies
It has been determined that private Israeli companies are carrying out large-scale manipulation on social media using open-source artificial intelligence models.
It has emerged that private companies based in Israel are carrying out large-scale manipulation and influence operations on social media platforms by using open-source artificial intelligence models.
Social media manipulation with artificial intelligence
It has emerged that private companies based in Israel are carrying out large-scale manipulation and influence operations on social media platforms using open-source artificial intelligence models. In a report addressed alongside similar digital activities by the Chinese and Iranian administrations, it was reported that two companies of Israeli origin have taken platforms under their influence using artificial intelligence agents capable of independent posting.
IntelEye's defense-oriented statements
IntelEye, one of the companies involved in the scandal, characterized its activities targeting Israeli domestic politics prior to the October elections as research for defensive purposes. Maor Sellek, one of the co-founders of the company, claimed that they used models from the Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek for the experiment in question.
Sellek stated that IntelEye did not conduct influence operations, and that the study was carried out to understand how models with insufficient security measures could be abused.
Around a thousand bot accounts and the Netanyahu effect
It was determined that the artificial intelligence agents deployed by the company managed approximately one thousand accounts on social media platforms, shared content, and directly replied to other users. In the operation detected by American intelligence, it was noted that the bots made posts supporting and opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Data from Meta and Israeli media
The existence of another Israel-based operation was disclosed by Meta. The company described the activity it detected last month as a commercial operation based in Israel and stated that the system has a highly sophisticated setup. According to data from Channel 12 television in January, approximately half of the active politically themed accounts on Israeli social media were bots.
International concerns and Iran-backed campaigns
In a report by The New York Times, it was stated that the campaign originating from Iran caused serious concern among researchers. It was reported that approximately 80,005 people followed artificial intelligence accounts acting like ordinary American citizens, aiming to alter public perception among journalists and politicians.