Next-generation AI 'swarms' will invade social media by mimicking human behavior and harassing real users, researchers warn

A conceptual image of a man standing in a cloud of social media posts and messages. .

Swarms of artificial intelligence (AI) agents could soon invade social media platforms en masse to spread false narratives, harass users and undermine democracy, researchers warn.

These "AI swarms" will form part of a new frontier in information warfare, capable of mimicking human behavior to avoid detection while creating the illusion of an authentic online movement, based on a commentary published Jan. 22 in the journal Science.