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The Pentagon is running an AI propaganda mill targeting Latin America

59 pointsby Frickentoday at 4:38 AM46 commentsview on HN

Comments

oefrhatoday at 6:22 AM

I’d be shocked if the Pentagon isn’t running an AI propaganda mill targeting <insert any region of the world>.

yanhangyhytoday at 7:37 AM

If the American system is so good, why does it always need to be promoted in such strange ways? LA people should be so eager to be pro-America

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JumpCrisscrosstoday at 7:32 AM

When it comes to traditional spycraft, I'm of the opinion that everyone does it and everyone has to. Everyone does it. It's of tremendous value. And it doesn't particularly hurt us when we get caught.

But the First Amendment is a cultural touchstone for America. Even if everyone else does this nonsense, it's not of demonstrable value and it does hurt us when we get caught like this. Unilateral disarmament isn't usually an option. But it is, I think, when it comes to this.

I think we should pass a law banning undisclosed social media, psyop and other unattributed propaganda campaigns among (a) allies and (b) other democracies (as judged by a neutral source).

dm_today at 7:36 AM

What I think many of the jaded comments about how "it was ever thus" miss is what it means that American soft power is reduced to AI slop.

During the Cold War, the CIA famously funded all sorts of cultural endeavors, but much of the output (if not directly CIA-created, then at least bolstered by the Agency) is still held to have been culturally relevant: abstract expressionism (https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20161004-was-modern-art-...), the Kenyon Review (https://www.thecollegianmagazine.com/the-kenyon-review-and-t...), etc.

Lots to criticize in the Cold War, but I think you can at least make the argument that this was emblematic of an American cultural power that was self-assured of its own value and legitimacy.

In comparison, now we have...LLMs creating personal finance tips?

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zuzululutoday at 6:58 AM

This is odd. They have the budget to run with real journalists and outlets. Is this some reverse-psychology move? Where they want people to see that its AI and thus not take it seriously? What aim does that achieve?

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oobeoob11today at 6:23 AM

Well, yes, obviously. Did you notice there is also one (rather, a whole ecosystem) targeting Russia, one for Iran, one for China, one for EU, one for Japan, etc?

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shaknatoday at 6:22 AM

Have they ever stopped? CIA and SOCOM have been dangling themselves into Latin American lives since they were invented. Assassinating presidents, spewing propaganda, assisting in coups.

It would be a surprise, it they weren't using AI to add to the mix.

gdsstoday at 6:15 AM

yep, with brazil at the center...

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rurbantoday at 7:29 AM

Hollywood is not just targeting Latin America. Marvel and DC are everybody fascists dreams.

_3u10today at 5:52 AM

Latam already has enough problems with socialism we hardly need more of it.

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