How Ukrainian women trap Russian war criminals with AI

During the war, Ukraine also relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to obtain sensitive military information from the Russians. A Ukrainian company called Molfar is using AI to generate fake profiles of women on dating apps to lure Russian soldiers into what it calls a “honey trap”. That reports, among others, the British Times. The goal is to flirt with “really desperate” soldiers to get them to reveal valuable war information.

Inexperienced recruits are therefore mainly fooled using AI-generated images of women. While chatting, they subconsciously reveal information about their jobs, where they work, and their experiences on the front lines. The men would also have discussed the number of troops, military equipment, the success of attacks and logistical problems within the troops.

The images faked with AI are now barely recognizable as such. This is evident from examples of users on social media trying out the technology.

So a user shared on Twitter various AI-generated images of women at a party. For this he used the program Midjourney. He described the result as “insanely strong”. “These are not real photos and none of the people in the photos exist.”

No small talk with “horny” soldiers

The British daily Times has published excerpts of conversations between soldiers and employees of the company posing as women. One recruit wrote: “You must be taken to Moscow as soon as possible. I don’t like staying up too late [Sex] waiting”.

An associate of Molfar’s named “Angelina” then tried to keep the conversation going, asking, “But how are you supposed to start a relationship with a decent and faithful girl if you don’t wait for her to be ready for the next step?” The soldier replied: «Let’s talk about it».

Employees of the organization say they don’t even chat with ‘horny’ soldiers who just want to talk about sex. Nor do they have a guilty conscience for the deception. “They are coming to my country and want to kill my people,” Angelina told The Times. Her brother was killed on the battlefield early in the war and her father is currently serving.

However, the Russians have learned and the military regulations restricting the use of smartphones have become stricter.

Also other AI applications

In addition to the “honey trap”, AI technologies also find other applications in war. Ukraine, for example, uses machine learning to analyze satellite imagery and assess damage on the battlefield.

AI-powered facial recognition software helps the invaded country identify fallen soldiers and counter misinformation.

Molfar is an international association of 60 analysts and more than 200 volunteers. Its members are dedicated to identifying war criminals, exposing Russian propaganda and archiving wartime events.

These are important duties that play a key role in raising awareness of the atrocities of war and the importance of truthfulness and transparency in reporting.

Sources

(t-online/dsc)