As fighting continues in Mali, the battlefield is expanding into the digital realm, with rival forces turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to shape narratives and influence audiences. A new study, Algorithms at War, by the Dakar-based Timbuktu Institute, examines the growing use of generative AI in Mali’s conflict, including by groups linked to al-Qaeda and their allies.
“With artificial intelligence on the Malian front, we are moving from fairly rudimentary use by jihadist groups, for example, to a genuine professional machine on the Russian side,” said Bakary Sambe, director of the Timbuktu Institute. According to the report, terrorists are testing relatively basic AI-generated propaganda, while Russia’s Africa Corps is deploying the technology on a significantly more sophisticated scale.
