As large language models (LLMs) become embedded across every stage of our information supply chain, they are creating a new frontier for information warfare. This report explores what happens when AI and geopolitical competition collide, revealing how hostile states can manipulate the information that AI systems retrieve, cite and present to users.
Drawing on new evidence, the report identifies a growing threat: ‘Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) poisoning’ – the deliberate manipulation of online information so that AI models amplify false or misleading narratives. Through a case study of Russian foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), the research demonstrates how these techniques are already influencing the outputs of leading AI services.
The report argues that protecting the UK’s information environment now requires securing AI systems as well as the wider digital ecosystem. It sets out practical recommendations for government, AI companies and civil society to strengthen the UK’s epistemic security, disrupt hostile information operations, and ensure AI develops as a trusted source of knowledge rather than a new vector for foreign interference.