AI could be used to influence election, says experts

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Top national intelligence leaders briefed senators Thursday on worldwide threats to America. Topics ranged from election interference to AI, and state and individual actors.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines says cyber-attacks are on the rise.

“We have seen a massive increase in the number of ransomware attacks globally in the last year, which went up as much as 74%,” Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence.

Members of the intelligence community gave lawmakers an update about the most serious, global threats facing the United States.

“The terrorist threat level is of grave concern,” Haines said.

Most of the specifics were kept behind closed doors.

As the war rages on in the Middle East, Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton is concerned terrorists are coming across the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Do you think there might have been an even greater surge in Islamic extremists trying to cross our open southern border?” Cotton asked.

“We haven’t seen Hamas directing essentially folks or others in the region to come into the United States to engage in attacks,” Haines said.

Other concerns lawmakers had included adversaries using AI to try to influence our 2024 elections.

“Russia, in particular,  has you know engaged in the use of artificial intelligence generative AI in the context of their information operations,” Haines said. 

Director Haines says Russia is far from the only ones.

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