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Anthropic Report: Russia's AI Disinformation in Africa
US company Anthropic reveals Russia uses AI to spread pro-Russian propaganda across Central African Republic and other African nations.
In brief
US company Anthropic reveals Russia uses AI to spread pro-Russian propaganda across Central African Republic and other African nations. Anthropic report details how Russian agents used AI to monitor opposition in Central African Republic and create disinformation campaigns in DRC, Kenya, Sudan, and Mali. Originally…
Russian agents use AI in CAR
Russian agents allegedly used AI assistant Claude to promote pro-Russian influence in the Central African Republic capital Bangui.
“In Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, Russian agents are said to have deliberately used the AI assistant Claude to promote pro-Russian influence”
Anthropic report details AI misuse
US company Anthropic published a report in September detailing how opposition politicians were monitored and disinformation campaigns supported using ai.
“A report titled "Detecting and Countering Misuse of AI," published by us-based company anthropic in september, detailed how opposition politicians were monitored, propaganda content was created and disinformation campaigns were supported”
Pro-Russian propaganda on radio
Claude produced content for Radio Lengo Songo, a radio station funded by russia that portrayed central african government positively and criticized france and opposition.
“The report claimed that claude was used primarily to produce content broadcast by radio lengo songo, a radio station that, according to the international investigative collective all eyes on wagner, is funded by russia”
Opposition claims government targeting
Opposition leaders say government and russian allies have been targeting them since 2020 through online campaigns and false accusations of foreign ties.
“We have been observing this since 2020, when the CPC, a coalition of rebel groups, attacked bangui. Strangely enough, several media outlets did everything in their power to establish alleged links between certain opposition leaders and the cpc”
AI used in multiple african countries
Anthropic found ai was used in drc, kenya, sudan, and mali to create fake news, support governments, and monitor telecommunications.
“According to the report, the democratic republic of the congo drc, kenya, sudan and mali were also affected”
DRC: 318 fake news articles
In the drc, ai generated 318 articles across 70 fake news sites and 250 fake x accounts supporting the congolese government.
“In the drc, anthropic identified 318 articles that, according to the report, were published by a network of about 70 fake news sites and subsequently distributed by more than 250 fictitious accounts on x”
AI operations shut down
Anthropic shut down all ai disinformation operations in car, drc, kenya, sudan, and mali between december 2025 and august 2026.
“Anthropic says it uncovered and shut down all of these different operations between december 2025 and august 2026, primarily by deleting the accounts involved and strengthening its detection systems”
What to remember
Anthropic report details how Russian agents used AI to monitor opposition in Central African Republic and create disinformation campaigns in DRC, Kenya, Sudan, and Mali.
