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A new report reveals that artificial intelligence chatbots are being manipulated by Portal Combat a Russian orchestrated disinformation campaign. According to research from NewsGuard, pro-Russian narratives are being deliberately inserted into AI training datasets, affecting how chatbots generate responses.

Portal Combat AI Data Manipulation

A Moscow-based disinformation network known as Pravda, also called "Portal Kombat," has been identified as a major source of compromised data. Pravda operates a vast network of websites that flood AI training sources with pro-Kremlin content, influencing chatbot outputs in Russia’s favor.

Although artificial intelligence remains in its early stages, current AI models depend heavily on existing internet sources. By saturating these sources with Russian narratives, Pravda can skew chatbot-generated responses, reinforcing state-sponsored viewpoints.

AI Systems Reflect Russian Narratives

NewsGuard’s investigation found that Pravda systematically infiltrates AI datasets by saturating search results with misleading content. This manipulation means that widely used chatbots may unknowingly echo Kremlin-aligned messaging in their responses.

Disinformation, distributed by the Russian aggregation network is picked up by search engines and web crawlers and then distributed to chatbots.

In 2024 alone, NewsGuard identified over 3.6 million articles published by Pravda-linked platforms, all designed to introduce disinformation into AI systems. These articles spread misleading claims, conspiracy theories, and pro-Russian narratives, which are then picked up by web crawlers that feed major AI models.

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Intentional Manipulation of AI Models

The goal of this effort is clear. At a conference in Moscow last January, Russia-based commentator John Mark Dougan openly stated: "By pushing these Russian narratives from the Russian perspective, we can actually change worldwide AI."

NewsGuard further noted: "The network spreads its false claims in dozens of languages across different geographical regions, making them appear more credible and widespread across the globe to AI models. Of the 150 sites in the Pravda network, approximately 40 are Russian-language sites publishing under domain names targeting specific cities and regions of Ukraine."

AI Advances and Disinformation Threats

While artificial intelligence companies continue to advance their technology, with the recent launch of Grok-3 in the U.S., experts warn that these rapid developments also amplify AI’s vulnerability to disinformation.

China has made significant AI breakthroughs in 2025, with the launch of DeepSeek in January being described as a "Sputnik moment" for U.S. AI development. This achievement demonstrated China’s ability to produce Large Language Models (LLMs) at a fraction of the cost of U.S. competitors.

As AI technology evolves, its influence on democracy is expanding. Experts caution that AI remains highly susceptible to manipulation, making disinformation campaigns like Portal Combat are becoming a more urgent issue.