Handelsblatt: How Artificial Intelligence becomes a weapon in the Iran war (Dr. Sven Herpig)

The Iran war is experiencing an escalation in AI-generated disinformation, using manipulated media to fabricate events such as non-existent Iranian "kamikaze boats." In this Handelsblatt article, Lead Cybersecurity Dr. Sven Herpig cautions against overestimating AI's strategic weight, noting that while it scales propaganda rapidly, it primarily influences public perception rather than military realities.

However, Herpig warns that AI fakes can trigger market reaction reminiscent of the flash crash caused by a fake image of smoke over the Pentagon. He also highlights the risk of domestic radicalization, as informational ambiguity can mobilize factions within Germany, making permanent situational observation essential.

Senior Policy Researcher Digital Public Sphere Lena-Maria Böswald identifies an inverse threat where bad actors weaponize skepticism by systematically discrediting authentic footage as "AI-generated." Böswald notes the bizarre escalation of propagandists artificially generating fake "technical proof" to support their false claims, exploiting the public's misunderstanding of digital forensic tools.