Opinion Artificial intelligence
Disinformation warriors are ‘grooming’ chatbots
Russian hackers are exploring ways to inject propaganda into the training data of generative AI models
JOHN THORNHILLAdd to myFT
The eurobot’s launch highlights how generative AI chatbots are increasingly becoming the welcome mat to the infosphere thanks to the explosive growth in their usage
John Thornhill
PublishedJUL 17 2025
Is the EU a good thing? Rows have raged over that question for many years so I turned to the newly launched ChatEurope for a fresh take.
This artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, which promises to provide users with trusted information about Europe in seven languages in real time, had a definitive, though somewhat one-sided, answer. The EU had brought significant benefits to member states and citizens, it replied, particularly in economic integration and consumer rights. It had also regulated technology, enforced fair competition and enhanced cyber security.
No mention there of any thornier issues, such as national sovereignty or democratic accountability, that have so roiled the Eurosceptics. But they would doubtless jump on the accompanying disclaimer: “As AI-generated answers may be inaccurate, please make your own verification and assessment by reading the full articles listed in the answers.”
Most of those articles were from Agence France-Presse, one of 15 companies behind the consortium that includes Deutsche Welle, El País and Romania’s RFI and is backed by the EU commission. The eurobot’s underlying technology is run by the French AI company Mistral. Its goal is to deliver answers “free from algorithmic manipulation or political interference” in the age of AI-generated content.
https://www.ft.com/content/27125679-ddee-4949-9e03-33c44dcdbca0?sharetype=blocked
