Why China Is So Bad at Disinformation

"China will use AI to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India, Microsoft warns" one read. "China Is Using AI to Sow Disinformation and Stoke Discord Across Asia and the US," another claimed. The headlines were based on a report published earlier this month by Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center which outlined how a Chinese disinformation campaign was now utilizing artificial technology to inflame divisions and disrupt elections in the US and around the world. The campaign, which has already targeted Taiwan's elections, uses AI-generated audio and memes designed to grab user attention and boost engagement. But what these headlines and Microsoft itself failed to adequately convey is that the Chinese government-linked disinformation campaign, known as Spamouflage Dragon or Dragonbridge, has so far been virtually ineffective.