SAEDNEWS: The Israeli regime has reportedly launched a multimillion-dollar campaign aimed at influencing how artificial intelligence models, including ChatGPT, portray Israel’s war on Gaza and the actions of the Israeli military, according to Politico.
According to Saednews, Public support for Israel has declined significantly in the United States, with recent polling showing growing distrust of both the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to a June Pew Research Center survey, six in ten American adults now view Israel somewhat or very unfavorably, compared with 53 percent last year and 42 percent in 2022. Netanyahu faces even stronger disapproval, with 65 percent of Americans saying they have little or no confidence in his policies.
The decline in public support comes as reports emerge about efforts to influence how artificial intelligence systems respond to questions concerning Gaza and Israel's war on the territory. Politico reported on a $100,000 campaign allegedly designed to shape large-language model responses by promoting carefully framed online content.
The campaign reportedly involved the Hanover Institute for Public Policy, a website publishing anonymous reports on anti-Semitism and geopolitical issues. Documents filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act reportedly connected more than a dozen articles on the site to a public relations campaign intended to influence public understanding of Israel.
Several of the site's articles are presented as questions, including topics such as whether the treatment of Palestinian prisoners constitutes a war crime and who bears responsibility for the Israel-Palestine conflict. According to Politico, this format may have been designed to increase the likelihood that AI systems would identify and reference the material.
Technical evidence also reportedly linked the website to Res, a Seattle-based artificial intelligence startup that helps organizations improve their visibility in AI-generated recommendations. The company's CEO, Hai Tran, confirmed the connection.
Reports indicate that some AI platforms, including ChatGPT and Perplexity, have already referenced Hanover Institute material when responding to questions about Gaza and Israel.
The alleged effort is not the first attempt connected to Havas Media to use artificial intelligence and digital campaigns to shape public opinion. A Wall Street Journal investigation reported that the firm had previously hired former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale for a multimillion-dollar campaign involving AI-generated pro-Israel messages and online content designed to influence AI-generated responses.
Meanwhile, opposition to continued US support for Israel has also grown within Congress. Last month, more than 100 House Democrats supported an amendment that would have reduced $3.3 billion in US aid to Israel. Although the measure failed because of Republican opposition, support for such an effort was considerably higher than two years earlier, when only 37 House Democrats backed a similar proposal.
President Donald Trump has remained broadly supportive of Israel but has increasingly criticized Netanyahu. The two leaders have reportedly disagreed over several major issues, including a ceasefire with Iran and Trump's proposed Gaza peace plan.
Trump has also avoided publicly endorsing Netanyahu ahead of Israel's October election. According to Axios, two senior US officials said Trump remains personally fond of Netanyahu but has become increasingly frustrated with his policies, reportedly describing the Israeli leader as "his own worst enemy."
