Analysis has uncovered that some 1900 X (previously Twitter) bots are at work to greenwash the picture of the present COP28 presidency as environment-friendly.
Marc Owen Jones, affiliate professor of Center East Research at Hamad bin Khalifa College, whose latest work focuses on how social media has been used to unfold disinformation and faux information within the Center East, has recognized a bigger community of seven,000 bots which align with UAE overseas coverage.
The researcher has to date recognized 22 generals who kickstart the dialog and greater than 1,850 accounts that perform as minions, amplifying the content material generated by the overall accounts. The bots interact in posting content material on varied points to create a way of authenticity about these AI-powered accounts.
Whereas the UAE affiliation has not been explicitly confirmed, Owen’s work suggests an affiliation in step with frequent tendencies noticed in cyber operations. “The content material revolves round praising ADNOC Chief and COP President-designate Sultan Al Jaber, together with selling a constructive picture of the UAE and COP28, positioning them as environmentally accountable entities”, reads a press release by Owen. Jaber is the CEO of Abu Dhabi Nationwide Oil and hypothesis has been rife that he was attempting to dealer oil offers on the eve of the convention.
Owen’s different findings embody the organisation of bots into models or cells, every assigned to love tweets by particular generals, probably as a measure to keep away from detection by X.
Common accounts that are additionally verified on Twitter, reminiscent of bint_jumeiraah and BkhetaElbasbosy, play a big function and obtain extra engagement. BkhetaElbasbosy’s profile image, traced again to a TikTok account, provides authenticity.
