Russia is manipulating global AI chatbot ecosystems with fabricated websites, leaked documents show
Leaked internal documents reviewed by Bloomberg News reveal a large-scale Russian information operation aimed at reshaping online knowledge ecosystems, including search engines and AI chatbots, through networks of fabricated reference sites and coordinated “Wikipedia-style” platforms.
A key shift highlighted in the leak is the growing focus on search engines and AI systems as targets of Russian influence operations, raising concerns that large language models and automated tools could absorb and reproduce manipulated narratives.
Russia builds Wikipedia-style networks to influence search and AI systems
According to Bloomberg, the files originate from the Social Design Agency (SDA), a Moscow-based entity sanctioned by the US, UK, and EU for involvement in Kremlin-linked disinformation campaigns.
The documents describe a program dubbed “Project 2026,” which goes beyond traditional social media influence operations and focuses on building an alternative information infrastructure designed to shape how political and current events are represented in digital knowledge systems.
The strategy outlined in the leaked files includes creating cloned encyclopedia-style websites, fake think tanks, and media outlets designed to rank highly in search results and feed manipulated content into systems used by AI models.
Information operations increasingly target AI training and search indexing systems
A key shift highlighted in the leak is the focus on AI systems and search engines as primary targets of influence operations.
Rather than relying solely on viral social media content, the SDA’s approach aims to embed manipulated material into the informational “supply chain” used by search engines and chatbot training systems, increasing the likelihood that false or biased narratives are reproduced by automated tools.
Experts quoted by Bloomberg describe this as an attempt to degrade information reliability at scale by contaminating the underlying datasets that modern AI systems depend on.
Plans include Armenia and Germany-focused information operations
Bloomberg reports that internal planning documents describe a coordinated effort to produce large volumes of web content across multiple languages and countries, with the goal of influencing both search engine rankings and AI training data.
One proposal reportedly outlined the creation of a Wikipedia-style platform for Armenia, designed to insert pro-Kremlin narratives into high-traffic pages. Another document described a separate Germany-focused operation involving hundreds of thousands of web pages, with targets for continuous article editing and content generation designed to influence search visibility and AI outputs.
Researchers cited by Bloomberg said the approach reflects an attempt to “flood the zone” with interconnected content, making it more likely that manipulated narratives are surfaced by automated systems and large language models.
SDA operates as structured cognitive warfare system with performance targets
The files also suggest the SDA operates as part of a broader Kremlin-linked “cognitive warfare” system, combining narrative operations, false flag-style information activity, and long-term content infrastructure building.
Bloomberg reports that some projects were designed to imitate legitimate academic or analytical institutions, publishing articles that reinterpret established research to align with Russian political messaging.
The documents indicate the operation is structured with performance metrics, targeting traffic levels, engagement goals, and systematic tracking of narrative spread across platforms and languages.
Leaked documents show long-term infrastructure-based disinformation strategy
The SDA, led by Ilya Gambashidze and previously linked to Kremlin officials, has been described by US authorities as part of a coordinated foreign influence apparatus supporting Russian state objectives.
Bloomberg notes that earlier disclosures by Western governments had already linked the agency to impersonation campaigns and coordinated online narratives.
The newly leaked documents provide additional detail on the scale and structure of these operations, suggesting an evolution from short-term propaganda efforts toward persistent, infrastructure-based influence systems designed to operate over years.
