Trump Warns of Iran Using AI as ‘Disinformation Weapon’

Iran Deploys AI as Weapon in Disinformation Campaign, Trump Warns

Former President Donald Trump has raised alarm about Iran’s increasing use of artificial intelligence technology to spread disinformation, characterizing it as a deliberate strategy to deceive the American public and international audiences.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that Iran “has long been known as a Master of Media Manipulation and Public Relations,” adding that while the nation may be “militarily ineffective and weak,” they excel at “feeding the very appreciative Fake News Media false information.”

Trump cited several examples where Iranian entities allegedly used AI-generated content to fabricate military victories against the United States and its allies. These included falsified images of buildings and ships on fire and fabricated claims about attacking U.S. refueling planes—events that never occurred.

The former president’s comments come amid growing global concern about the rapidly evolving capabilities of AI in creating convincingly realistic but entirely fictional content. Security experts have warned that this represents a new frontier in information warfare, with state actors increasingly able to manufacture visual “evidence” of events that never happened.

Marc Owen Jones, Associate Professor of Media Analytics at Northwestern University in Qatar, explained the strategic value of such operations: “The use of A.I. images of places in the Gulf—being burnt or damaged—becomes more important in Iran’s playbook, because it allows them to give a sense that this war is more destructive and maybe more costly for America’s allies than it might actually be.”

The sophistication of these AI-generated materials has increased dramatically in recent years. Timothy Graham, a digital media expert at Queensland University of Technology, told the BBC that “the barrier to creating convincing synthetic conflict footage has essentially collapsed” due to advances in AI technology. “The scale is truly alarming,” Graham added, noting that “what used to require professional video production can now be done in minutes with AI tools.”

In his remarks, Trump praised FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for warning broadcasters about the potential consequences of disseminating false information. Carr stated on social media that “broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions—also known as the fake news—have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up.”

The issue extends beyond Iran. The United Arab Emirates recently announced the arrest of 35 individuals for publishing misleading content that allegedly harmed defense measures and glorified acts of military aggression against the UAE. According to authorities, these suspects combined authentic footage with AI-generated images to create false impressions of explosions and strikes on landmarks.

The threat posed by AI-powered disinformation represents a significant challenge for national security agencies, media organizations, and social media platforms. Unlike traditional propaganda, AI-generated content can be produced quickly, at scale, and with increasingly realistic appearance, making it difficult for even trained observers to distinguish fact from fiction.

Cybersecurity experts note that as AI tools become more accessible, the potential for their malicious use increases proportionally. This democratization of sophisticated disinformation capabilities means that tactics once available only to well-funded state actors could soon be deployed by a wider range of groups and individuals.

The intersection of AI and disinformation has prompted calls for new regulatory frameworks and technical solutions. Some advocates propose digital watermarking for AI-generated content, while others suggest enhanced media literacy education to help citizens better evaluate information sources.

As this technology continues to advance, policymakers and technology companies face mounting pressure to develop effective countermeasures that balance security concerns with free speech protections. Without such safeguards, experts warn that public trust in information could be further eroded, with significant implications for democratic discourse and international relations.