US tells election officials to be on guard against AI-powered tricks ahead of midterms


FILE PHOTO: Irwin County Elections Supervisor Ethan Compton shows a tamper evident security seal protecting voting equipment at the Irwin County Board of Elections and Registrations offices in Ocilla, Georgia, US, August 31, 2026. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

WASHINGTON, Oct ⁠16 (Reuters) - The FBI and the ⁠US cyber defense agency ‌CISA are urging election officials -- and the American public -- to be on guard ​against AI-powered tricks ⁠ahead of next ⁠month's midterm elections.

Here are more details:

• ⁠An ‌alert issued Friday by CISA and the ⁠FBI says that hackers may try ​to ‌disrupt the midterm elections using ⁠bogus ​text messages and emails aimed at stealing passwords or other ⁠sensitive data.

• The alert ​says that "election officials, candidates, and their political organizations are attractive targets ⁠to malicious cyber criminals."

• The alert says that "super intelligence," a Trump-approved term for AI, is ​allowing hackers ⁠to sharpen theirrogue emails and texts ​to make them ‌look and sound ​more convincing.

(Reporting by Raphael Satter; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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