Disinformation, AI and Global Politics: Active Measures 2026

The world has been attuned to the challenges posed by disinformation since the 2016 election. Ten years later, artificial intelligence and a worsening international environment have supercharged the disinformation challenge. In this lecture, Jim Ludes examines recent developments, the use of AI to create disinformation at scale, and the so-called “grooming” of AI platforms to spread foreign disinformation themselves, to paint a picture of Active Measures in the age of AI. “Active Measures” are covert political warfare tactics aimed at destabilizing opponents and expanding influence covertly.

Jim Ludes, Ph.D., is executive director of the Pell Center at Salve Regina University and a historian of political warfare. He publishes the Active Measures Newsletter and co-hosts the Active Measures Newsletter Podcast every week. He has been studying the subject for more than 30 years. Jim also serves as vice president for strategic initiatives at Salve and hosts “Story in the Public Square” on PBS and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.