Sarah Harte: Who needs Russia sowing confusion when AI is already doing it

While it’s histrionic to say that AI risks turning us into dribbling dumbos who swallow any old rubbish as the truth, it pays in all facets of life to have a questioning mindset, writes Sarah Harte

Reports are conflicted as to whether Agent Cobalt is in fact sowing confusion or influencing narratives, but sure, we have AI doing just that for us anyway.

One intriguing and at times funny story at the moment is the possibility that an Oireachtas member codenamed ‘Agent Cobalt’ is being investigated by An Garda Síochána for being a Russian spy. 

As reported earlier this week, the alleged value of this agent is not to access classified material but to “influence narratives, delay policymaking processes, and sow confusion” in political and security structures. The plot thickens.