Release the bots of war: social media and Artificial Intelligence as international cyber attack

Abstract

The possibility of conducting attacks on critical infrastructure of States prompted a re-evaluation of the jus ad bellum in cyberspace and the drafting of the Tallinn Manual at the behest of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. Artificial intelligence combined with the use of social media platforms that have access to large audience has opened a new avenue of international dynamics, posing a potential threat to the political independence of states. This article presents the analogy in the use of algorithmic targeting misinformation and influence campaigns and cyber attacks, as well as examines the roles of the various actors in the international sphere with a view on understanding what actions, if any, nations can undertake to counter these threats to their political independence under international law.