Report says Iran is using AI-made memes and animations for propaganda

In short: Iran is using AI-generated videos and memes to push pro-Iran messages on social media, often disguised as jokes or entertainment.

What's going on

Iran-linked social media accounts are posting short, blocky animations that look like Lego-style videos. Some mock U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Others show graphic scenes like bombed schools, but in a toy-like format that can feel more shareable.

One group highlighted in the report is called Explosive Media. Its videos have reached hundreds of millions of views. The clips use familiar online styles, like memes and video game jokes, to help political messages travel farther than a normal government statement.

The report says this content spread during the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis and “Operation Epic Fury.” It also describes a broader online battle where official messaging mixes with edited clips that look like popular games (like adding game-like overlays to real footage). In this environment, platforms may remove accounts, but new ones appear quickly, so the content keeps coming.

A key tool is generative AI, which means software that can create new images, videos, and text from scratch (like a machine that can write and draw on command). Experts say these systems often learn from large amounts of Western online material, which can make the output feel familiar to global audiences. The goal is not always to persuade directly, but to get people to share because it looks funny, shocking, or ironic.

What to watch

Expect more countries to use similar low-cost AI content that is built for sharing, not for accuracy. For viewers, the practical challenge is knowing when a “joke video” is also a political ad in disguise.

Source: NYTimes