{"id":2156693,"date":"2026-09-21T08:50:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T05:50:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2156693"},"modified":"2026-09-21T08:50:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T05:50:19","slug":"ai-generated-experts-make-up-large-network-of-german-political-videos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2156693","title":{"rendered":"AI-generated &#8216;experts&#8217; make up large network of German political videos"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/91\/12\/1200x675_cmsv2_1aed34cd-72d2-57e4-afb9-0e8488c3af2e-9919112.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2927618-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2927618\" data-cid=\"9922620\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927618-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/26\/20\/189x106_cmsv2_1d026220-8656-59bf-ba66-64b505aa1168-9922620.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A Turkish soldier stands guard in Istanbul, 7 April, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Turkey<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Eight wounded in shooting by Turkey school and suspect detained\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927491-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2927491\" data-cid=\"9921915\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927491-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/19\/15\/189x106_cmsv2_eb0325e1-6e6d-5823-a2f1-85c3797021c6-9921915.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Ukraine opposes political EU sanctions delistings, deputy PM says\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927489-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2927489\" data-cid=\"9921877\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927489-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/18\/77\/189x106_cmsv2_42605bbd-2e1c-56e8-9418-ec66b0d9ed59-9921877.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Tasos Chatzivasileiou, Greek Greek Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Next EU budget should finance migration solutions, Greek minister says\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927483-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2927483\" data-cid=\"9921810\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927483-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/18\/10\/189x106_cmsv2_2ecde100-60cb-5d24-8328-c214dcd87203-9921810.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Researchers in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States tested 25 AI models using 200 sentences to see whether they had learned to distinguish pain from fear, sadness\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Tech News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Can AI feel pain? Models learned it from human text, study finds\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927618-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2927618\" data-cid=\"9922620\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927618-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/26\/20\/189x106_cmsv2_1d026220-8656-59bf-ba66-64b505aa1168-9922620.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A Turkish soldier stands guard in Istanbul, 7 April, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Turkey<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Eight wounded in shooting by Turkey school and suspect detained\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927491-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2927491\" data-cid=\"9921915\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927491-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/19\/15\/189x106_cmsv2_eb0325e1-6e6d-5823-a2f1-85c3797021c6-9921915.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Ukraine opposes political EU sanctions delistings, deputy PM says\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927489-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2927489\" data-cid=\"9921877\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927489-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/18\/77\/189x106_cmsv2_42605bbd-2e1c-56e8-9418-ec66b0d9ed59-9921877.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Tasos Chatzivasileiou, Greek Greek Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Next EU budget should finance migration solutions, Greek minister says\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927483-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2927483\" data-cid=\"9921810\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927483-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/18\/10\/189x106_cmsv2_2ecde100-60cb-5d24-8328-c214dcd87203-9921810.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Researchers in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States tested 25 AI models using 200 sentences to see whether they had learned to distinguish pain from fear, sadness\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Tech News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Can AI feel pain? Models learned it from human text, study finds\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe Decoded<\/p>\n<p>                          The Cube<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            AI-generated &#8216;experts&#8217; make up large network of German political videos<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"js-playercontrols u-height-full u-position-absolute u-width-full is-autoplaying\" data-translations=\"{&quot;error&quot;:&quot;This video could not be played.&quot;,&quot;geoblocked&quot;:&quot;Sorry, this content is not available in your country&quot;,&quot;slow&quot;:&quot;This is taking longer than usual&quot;}\">\n<div class=\"js-loadtrigger js-loadtrigger__button c-loadtrigger__button\" role=\"status\"><span class=\"js-loadtrigger__label c-loadtrigger__label u-visually-hidden\">Loading the video<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/91\/12\/1536x864_cmsv2_1aed34cd-72d2-57e4-afb9-0e8488c3af2e-9919112.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Large network of AI-generated German language speaking experts found online. \"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              Large network of AI-generated German language speaking experts found online.<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">Cleared<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0Cleared\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspTamsin Paternoster\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1789980619\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-09-21 10:50:19 +02:00\">21\/09\/2026 &#8211; 10:50 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div 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width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__content__embed_container u-display-none\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__content__embed__tooltip\"><br \/>\n                            Copy\/paste the article video embed link below:<br \/>\n                        <\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__content__embed u-display-flex\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/icon-copy-to-clipboard.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Copy to clipboard\" class=\"u-cursor-pointer js-c-article-share-comment-copy\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__content__embed--success-copied u-display-none js-c-article-share-comment-video-embed-success-link-copied\"><br \/>\n                                Copied<br \/>\n                            <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        Researchers identified 47 YouTube channels using artificial presenters to discuss conflicts, geopolitics and German politics, with videos recording more than 7.5 million views.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>At first glance, a woman speaking in a widely shared video online appears to be a German political commentator analysing the election in Saxony-Anhalt.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Another presenter discusses the war in Iran and China&#8217;s role in the conflict, while a supposed expert on a different channel explains changes to the global order.<\/p>\n<p>However, these presenters are not real, but generated using artificial intelligence. They appear across a collection of German-language YouTube channels investigated by the non-profit Centre for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy (CeMAS). <\/p>\n<p>The organisation identified 47 channels using AI-generated presenters to discuss political and geopolitical issues. Researchers were able to analyse 38 of them, documenting 1,876 relevant videos published between December 2025 and August 2026. <\/p>\n<p>Taken together, the channels attracted more than 66,000 subscribers, with their videos recording around 7.55 million views and nearly 30,000 comments, despite being fake <\/p>\n<p>Some conversation in the comment sections of the videos indicated genuine users were engaging with the content, with some believing it to be real. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You repeatedly have people who go like, &#8216;Oh, this is AI, guys, don\u2019t you see that?'&#8221; Lea Fr\u00fchwirth, a senior researcher on disinformation at CeMAS, told Euronews&#8217; fact-checking team, The Cube. &#8220;And then there&#8217;s others replying, going like, &#8216;I don&#8217;t care.'&#8221; <\/p>\n<h2><strong>A coordinated network?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Several signs suggest the accounts were part of a concerted campaign, according to CeMAS.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have multiple markers of coordination in this activity,&#8221; Fr\u00fchwirth said. &#8220;We have similarities in what they&#8217;re talking about, how they are presenting it, the registration dates, the time frame in which most of the activity goes down in terms of months.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have accounts switching avatars over the course of time,&#8221; she added. &#8220;We have accounts that keep the same avatar, but switch the voice, and we have avatars appearing on multiple channels.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>German domestic politics appeared in 795 of the videos analysed. CeMAS said these videos portrayed Germany as experiencing a profound political and economic crisis and criticised Chancellor Friedrich Merz&#8217;s government. <\/p>\n<p>This coincided with hotly anticipated state and local elections in Germany, where the Alternative for Germany (AfD) came out on top in elections in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt and is projected to come out narrowly on top in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, Merz&#8217;s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is expected to fall just short of the 5% threshold needed to keep a seat in the regional parliament in the latter state. The Left, meanwhile, emerged as the strongest force in Berlin.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the timing, &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t expect this to be a campaign targeted specifically at the elections,&#8221; Fr\u00fchwirth said. Despite this, she added that narratives attacking the federal government remained relevant to the wider debate surrounding the votes. <\/p>\n<p>A separate investigation by social media analysis company Graphika identified a similar pattern involving artificial presenters discussing world affairs in English, French, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish.<\/p>\n<p>Graphika was unable to identify the operators or confirm that all the accounts belonged to one network. However, it found signs that they likely shared means of creating content and ways of amplifying it. <\/p>\n<p>CeMAS believes the German-language channels could form part of the same broader pattern, although a direct link has not been conclusively established.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Harder to identify<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Many of the YouTube videos include a disclosure stating that the content has been altered or synthetically generated. <\/p>\n<p>According to Fr\u00fchwirth, this label is small and does not immediately explain if AI has been used for one element of a video or to generate the entire presenter. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not designed in a way that makes sure that whoever sees this is informed that this is entirely the product of AI generation,&#8221; she said. <\/p>\n<p>On closer inspection, the videos themselves have indications they are AI-generated. Researchers found translation errors, changing voices, and thumbnails featuring a different avatar from the one in the video. <\/p>\n<p>But these signals are becoming harder to detect. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The thing with AI-generated content is it\u2019s getting better by the minute,&#8221; she said. &#8220;If we were to talk to each other in three months, we would have an entirely new level of quality that we\u2019re looking at.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>YouTube did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label 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class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/25\/21\/320x180_cmsv2_e86db3f0-b062-5b51-9386-5f970ca1e0b8-9922521.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Latvia blocks deal to remove Usmanov from EU sanctions list<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2927504-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927504\" data-cid=\"9922016\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927504-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/20\/16\/320x180_cmsv2_bbfa478a-9be3-51e4-bd5a-ecf2c611edb1-9922016.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A customer reaches for a pump at a gas station in Berlin on Friday, June 13, 2025.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Fuel taxes in Europe: Which country taxes petrol the most?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2927566-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927566\" data-cid=\"9922271\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927566-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" 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content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927251-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/21\/75\/320x180_cmsv2_efc39fbf-fbde-5386-af37-e7265239bb47-9922175.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Russian citizens walk inside the Russian embassy to cast their vote for Russian parliament elections in Berlin, 20 September 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Russians abroad voted overwhelmingly against Putin&#8217;s party, polls show<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927407-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927407\" data-cid=\"9921405\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927407-label-pos6-top-stories\" 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m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927325\" data-cid=\"9920846\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Singer Damon Albarn speaks out as Gorillaz kick off US tour: &#8216;Don\u2019t ever be neutral&#8217;<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927379-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927379\" data-cid=\"9921425\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Minister: Most underage migrants who entered Ceuta won&#8217;t be returned<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">At first glance, a woman speaking in a widely shared video online appears to be a German political commentator analysing the election in Saxony-Anhalt.Another presenter discusses the war in Iran and China&#8217;s role in the conflict, while a supposed expert on a different channel explains changes to the global order.However, these presenters are not real, but generated using artificial intelligence. They appear across a collection of German-language YouTube channels investigated by the non-profit Centre for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy (CeMAS).\u00a0The organisation identified 47 channels using AI-generated presenters to discuss political and geopolitical issues. Researchers were able to analyse 38 of them, documenting 1,876 relevant videos published between December 2025 and August 2026.\u00a0Taken together, the channels attracted more than 66,000 subscribers, with their videos recording around 7.55 million views and nearly 30,000 comments, despite being fake\u00a0Some conversation in the comment sections of the videos indicated genuine users were engaging with the content, with some believing it to be real.\u00a0&#8220;You repeatedly have people who go like, &#8216;Oh, this is AI, guys, don\u2019t you see that?'&#8221; Lea Fr\u00fchwirth, a senior researcher on disinformation at CeMAS, told Euronews&#8217; fact-checking team, The Cube. &#8220;And then there&#8217;s others replying, going like, &#8216;I don&#8217;t care.'&#8221;\u00a0A coordinated network?\u00a0Several signs suggest the accounts were part of a concerted campaign, according to CeMAS.&#8221;We have multiple markers of coordination in this activity,&#8221; Fr\u00fchwirth said. &#8220;We have similarities in what they&#8217;re talking about, how they are presenting it, the registration dates, the time frame in which most of the activity goes down in terms of months.&#8221;&#8221;We have accounts switching avatars over the course of time,&#8221; she added. &#8220;We have accounts that keep the same avatar, but switch the voice, and we have avatars appearing on multiple channels.&#8221;German domestic politics appeared in 795 of the videos analysed. CeMAS said these videos portrayed Germany as experiencing a profound political and economic crisis and criticised Chancellor Friedrich Merz&#8217;s government.\u00a0This coincided with hotly anticipated state and local elections in Germany, where the Alternative for Germany (AfD) came out on top in elections in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt\u00a0and is projected to come out narrowly on top in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.In contrast, Merz&#8217;s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is expected to fall just short of the 5% threshold needed to keep a seat in the regional parliament in the latter state. The Left, meanwhile, emerged as the strongest force in Berlin.Despite the timing, &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t expect this to be a campaign targeted specifically at the elections,&#8221; Fr\u00fchwirth said. Despite this, she added that narratives attacking the federal government remained relevant to the wider debate surrounding the votes.\u00a0A separate investigation by social media analysis company Graphika identified a similar pattern involving artificial presenters discussing world affairs in English, French, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish.Graphika was unable to identify the operators or confirm that all the accounts belonged to one network. However, it found signs that they likely shared means of creating content and ways of amplifying it.\u00a0CeMAS believes the German-language channels could form part of the same broader pattern, although a direct link has not been conclusively established.Harder to identify\u00a0Many of the YouTube videos include a disclosure stating that the content has been altered or synthetically generated.\u00a0According to Fr\u00fchwirth, this label is small and does not immediately explain if AI has been used for one element of a video or to generate the entire presenter.\u00a0&#8220;It&#8217;s not designed in a way that makes sure that whoever sees this is informed that this is entirely the product of AI generation,&#8221; she said.\u00a0On closer inspection, the videos themselves have indications they are AI-generated. Researchers found translation errors, changing voices, and thumbnails featuring a different avatar from the one in the video.\u00a0But these signals are becoming harder to detect.&#8221;The thing with AI-generated content is it\u2019s getting better by the minute,&#8221; she said. &#8220;If we were to talk to each other in three months, we would have an entirely new level of quality that we\u2019re looking at.&#8221;YouTube did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2026\/09\/21\/ai-generated-experts-make-up-large-network-of-german-political-videos&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/91\/12\/1200x675_cmsv2_1aed34cd-72d2-57e4-afb9-0e8488c3af2e-9919112.jpg&#8221;] Turkey Eight wounded in shooting by Turkey school and suspect detained Europe Today Ukraine opposes political EU sanctions delistings, deputy PM says Europe Today Next EU budget should finance migration solutions, Greek minister says Tech News Can AI feel pain? Models learned it from human text, study finds Turkey Eight wounded in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2156693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2156693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2156693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2156693\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2156693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2156693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2156693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}