AI, ICT, and Influencers in Authoritarian Influence and Control as Part of Cognitive Warfare

Cognitive warfare represents a critical dimension of modern conflict, targeting human perception and decision-making through digital platforms. Building on Lippmann’s notion that people live in mental constructs, this warfare exploits cognitive vulnerabilities, societal divisions, and basic human needs to all the way to authoritarian regimes. While legacy media once shaped these constructs through selective framing, today’s influence occurs through decentralized actors, often unknown to the audience. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and information and communication technologies (ICT) has amplified these dynamics, enabling adversaries to manipulate cognition at scale. The results of this research tells us that AI and ICT serve as powerful tools for authoritarian (as well as yet democratic) states seeking to distort reality and control narratives. These technologies allow the creation and dissemination of tailored content—memes, deepfakes, bots, and algorithm-driven messages—designed to exploit biases and reinforce echo chambers. Cognitive warfare operates across strategic, operational, and tactical levels, using virtual spaces to inflict psychological and informational damage. Unlike kinetic warfare, its effects are often invisible and long-term, making detection and defense challenging. A defining feature of contemporary cognitive warfare is the role of influencers. Once limited to entertainment and consumer culture, influencers have become agenda-setters in political and security domains. Their perceived authenticity and trustworthiness make them effective conduits for authoritarian narratives. Combined with AI-driven analytics, influencers can micro-target audiences, amplify disinformation, and normalize propaganda. This influencer economy has disrupted traditional gatekeeping by legacy media, creating a fragmented information environment where truth is contested and authority is fluid. Authoritarian actors exploit influencers to legitimize their messaging and erode trust in democratic institutions. By framing narratives around fear, identity, and belonging, they manipulate emotions and behaviors, often presenting surrender or compliance as rational choices. These strategies are reinforced by AI systems capable of analyzing vast datasets, predicting behavioral patterns, and generating persuasive content at superhuman speed. The integration of influencers with AI-driven campaigns creates a hybrid model of influence—personalized, scalable, and difficult to counter. Cognitive warfare’s objectives are clear: instill fear, create uncertainty, and dismantle trust in leadership and institutions. Its global reach, enabled by AI and ICT, removes geographical constraints and accelerates authoritarian influence operations. Victims may remain unaware of these immersive attacks, which operate through familiar platforms and trusted voices. As AI evolves, new and unpredictable applications will emerge, raising profound ethical, legal, and strategic questions. While AI cannot replicate human judgment, its capacity to manipulate cognition demands urgent attention. If democratic societies fail to recognize cognition and cyber environments as arenas of warfare, they risk enabling adversarial control over public perception. Future research must examine how influencers, framing techniques, and cognitive biases intersect with AI and ICT in shaping authoritarian influence. Multidisciplinary approaches are essential to address the ethical and defensive challenges posed by this invisible yet pervasive form of warfare.