Information as a Weapon: Deepfakes, Artificial Intelligence, and Knowledge Manipulation in Conflict Zones

Contemporary conflict zones often extend beyond physical terrain into cyberspace, further complicating the playing field. Information has long been treated as a most useful commodity, but the duality of the word commodity offers the possibility of treating information not only as a resource, but as a weapon as well, since the army that possesses information – and the means to use or distort it – is the one that can wage wars and bring about victory. In this paper, the author will examine how artificial intelligence, and especially deepfakes, distort knowledge management and enable knowledge manipulation in contemporary conflict zones. Building on theories of propaganda, cognitive warfare and information operations, in this study, the mechanisms of AI-driven content manipulation will be examined as tools for erosion of political and security situations in the warzones and alternation of local, regional and global narratives. With the use of content analysis, the author will prove the hypothesis that AI-enhanced propaganda brought about a powerful shift in knowledge manipulation and modern warfare, with the use of examples from the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine/the Russian Federation and Palestine/Israel.