Anthropic Uncovers UAE-Linked Campaign Aimed At Shaping Narratives Around Sudan War

AI company Anthropic has said it detected and disrupted a UAE-linked influence operation that used its Claude chatbot to shape narratives surrounding the war in Sudan, targeting the Muslim Brotherhood and United Nations experts who have been critical of the United Arab Emirates' alleged role in the conflict. In a report published on Thursday detailing the misuse of its artificial intelligence models, Anthropic said it linked the operation “with high confidence” to officials associated with the UAE government. The company said the campaign involved the use of Claude to produce a wide range of materials intended to influence public and political discourse surrounding Sudan.

Anthropic said it took action to disrupt the operation after identifying the activity through its monitoring and investigation of potential misuse of its systems. According to the report, the campaign was aimed primarily at the Muslim Brotherhood, an organisation that has been a longstanding political and ideological adversary of the UAE. The operation also focused on United Nations experts who had criticised or raised concerns about Abu Dhabi's alleged involvement in Sudan's conflict. Anthropic said the AI chatbot was used to generate reports, advocacy materials, social media content and testimony related to the war and the wider political situation in the country.

The use of AI-generated material formed part of a broader effort to develop and distribute narratives about the Sudan conflict, according to Anthropic. The company did not say that Claude independently created or disseminated the campaign's content. Rather, its report described how users associated with the operation employed the chatbot as a tool to assist with content production and other activities intended to influence discussions around the conflict. Anthropic's findings highlight growing concerns about generative AI being used to support coordinated influence operations and political messaging.

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Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The war has caused widespread displacement, destruction and civilian suffering, while efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire have repeatedly struggled. The United Nations has described the resulting humanitarian emergency as one of the world's worst crises, with millions of people affected by violence, food insecurity and the collapse of essential services.

The UAE has faced allegations over its links to the Rapid Support Forces, although Abu Dhabi has denied supporting the paramilitary group. The issue has become a significant part of international discussions surrounding the conflict, while Sudanese authorities and other parties have repeatedly raised accusations concerning external involvement. Anthropic's findings add a new dimension to the dispute by highlighting an alleged effort to use artificial intelligence to produce and support material aimed at influencing perceptions of the conflict and the actors involved.

Anthropic said it disrupted the campaign after identifying the activity, underscoring the challenges technology companies face as generative AI tools become increasingly accessible to groups seeking to influence political narratives. The findings also illustrate how AI systems can be incorporated into established influence operations by accelerating the creation of reports, online messaging and advocacy content. As the Sudan war continues, the use of such tools to shape public understanding of the conflict could further complicate efforts to distinguish independently produced information from coordinated political campaigns.

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