Russia’s Latest Propaganda A.I.-Generated War Songs.
Russians are creating and spreading music glorifying the invasion of Ukraine, using platforms built in the United States.
Russians are creating and spreading music glorifying the invasion of Ukraine, using platforms built in the United States.
Russia has a new weapon in its propaganda war against Ukraine: songs generated by artificial intelligence.
Hundreds of them — from maudlin ballads to grinding thrash metal — have sprouted on the world’s most popular music streaming platforms, created using a growing number of A.I. music generators, many based in the United States.
The songs glorify Russian soldiers and dehumanize Ukrainians, sometimes with ethnic slurs. They depict the front lines as a hellscape but generally portray President Vladimir V. Putin’s invasion in 2022 as a necessary defense.
One of the most popular songs, “Power of Artillery,” is a churning rock paean in Russian to artillery systems with names like Krasnopol and Carnation.
‘Power of Artillery’
Note: This song was generated by A.I.
She will catch you off guard night and day
The goddess of war, and God will not help you
You won’t be able to escape her wrath
You’ll have to remember your prayers quickly
The songs have been posted and played millions of times on the world’s most popular streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple, YouTube and Deezer, according to research published by Terrecon, a nonprofit organization focused on threat intelligence in Ukraine that supports the government there.
