AI-enabled Influence Operations in the Indo-Pacific: The Philippine Perspective

Influence operations that shape perceptions and erode trust are a pressing global concern, more so with the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) that expands the scope and pace of such operations. This reality is experienced within the Indo-Pacific where this form of statecraft provides adversaries such as China the opportunity to exploit economic and political cleavages, as well as enduring and emergent rivalries. Nevertheless, the question remains whether the introduction of AI translates into actual subversive gains or if its effects are overstated following a greater understanding of its constraints. This development also brings to the surface whether the uncertainty that it provokes requires a reassessment of the mitigation measures required to respond to this threat. This article asks how policymakers view and respond to the emergent threat of AI-enabled influence operations. Specifically, it asserts that the introduction of AI does not significantly alter the logics that govern influence operations and, in other aspects, introduces additional constraints that limit its efficacy. Furthermore, and in response to the uncertainty that often follows novel technologies, policymakers employ security culture as an analytical lens to contextualise the threats they face. To demonstrate this argument, the Philippines’ experience with Chinese AI-enabled influence operations is used as a plausibility probe. While the article does not attempt to generalise its findings, it provides a viable explanation for how states perceive threats from this form of secret statecraft.