AI-Generated Disinformation Floods Online Discourse Amid Israel-Iran Conflict

The Israel-Iran conflict has unleashed an unprecedented wave of AI-generated disinformation, with fabricated videos and recycled content amassing over 100 million views. Pro-Iran accounts circulated falsified military footage, while pro-Israel actors repurposed old protest videos to exaggerate domestic dissent in Tehran. Open-source analysts describe the volume of manipulated content as "astonishing," noting some bad actors monetize tensions by gaming engagement algorithms.

Geoconfirmed, a verification collective, identified repurposed clips from Pakistan, video game footage, and October 2023 strike replays falsely presented as current events. This ecosystem has spawned "super-spreader" accounts that gain followers through conflict profiteering—a dark mirror of cryptocurrency's influencer economy during market volatility.