Extremist Groups Employ AI Voice Cloning and Translation for Propaganda Expansion
Extremist movements are increasingly leveraging AI voice-generating bots to recreate voices and speeches of major figures, boosting their propaganda reach and growth. Neo-Nazi groups have notably utilized AI voice cloning technology, such as ElevenLabs, to reproduce Adolf Hitler's voice from Third Reich speeches in English. These AI-generated Hitler speeches have amassed tens of millions of streams across major platforms.
Furthermore, neo-Nazi accelerationists have employed AI to create audiobooks of texts like Siege by James Mason, transforming them into AI-voiced content. This approach was used by groups including The Base and Atomwaffen Division and prompted a 2020 FBI counterterrorism investigation.
Pro-Islamic State media outlets operating on encrypted networks also utilize AI for text-to-speech renditions of official publications. This enhances the dissemination of their messaging through multimedia content and seamless multilingual translations from Arabic. For example, an Islamic State–linked user posted a video on Rocket.Chat in October featuring Japanese subtitles, highlighting the challenges of subtitling without AI and noting only limited AI involvement in the audio.
In addition to voice cloning and translations, extremist groups such as The Base and allied networks employ AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT for generating imagery, planning, and researching to support their operations and online outreach efforts.
