Shafaq News-
Baghdad
The escalating
war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, including recurrent attacks on
US sites inside Iraq, has been accompanied by a parallel digital surge.
AI-generated videos and images alongside fabricated footage of alleged drone
strikes and missile-related fires across Iraqi provinces— are flooding social
media, distorting realities and reshaping how Iraqis perceive both the war and
their own security landscape.
From fabricated
missile interceptions to staged drone crashes and simulated airstrikes, digital
platforms have become saturated with content designed to promote competing
narratives. The speed, scale, and sophistication of these materials mark a
shift in modern conflict: perception itself has become a frontline.
For many
Iraqis, these experiences have reshaped their relationship with information.
“I no longer
trust social media,” said Sana Abdulrahman, a 24-year-old resident. “Even the
media sometimes feels like it serves different agendas. It’s hard to know
what’s real.”
Another citizen,
Hassan Ali, described a growing sense of disillusionment after repeatedly
discovering that videos he believed were authentic turned out to be fake. “We
are exposed to hundreds of clips daily, and we tend to believe them without
questioning,” he said.
A War Of
Algorithms And Narratives
The spread of
synthetic content reflects a broader transformation in how wars are
communicated and consumed. While misinformation has long accompanied conflict,
artificial intelligence has accelerated its production and amplified its reach.
Tech expert
Ihab Adnan Sinjari told Shafaq News that AI-generated content now plays a
decisive role in shaping public opinion, particularly during fast-moving
military crises. He noted that such materials can confuse audiences and even
complicate decision-making environments.
According to
Sinjari, images remain the most widespread due to their ease of production, but
videos carry the greatest impact when they appear convincing. “Once a video
bypasses initial skepticism, its influence becomes far more powerful.”
This dynamic
has become evident during the latest regional escalation, where millions of
views were recorded within hours for fabricated clips portraying battlefield
developments. The result is a blurred line between fact and fiction, making it
increasingly difficult for both the public and media to construct a coherent
understanding of events.
Iraq’s Stance,
Digital Vulnerability
Officially,
Iraq has adopted a cautious balancing approach rather than full neutrality,
constrained by its strategic ties with both the United States and Iran. Baghdad
has sought to keep its territory and airspace from being used by any party
while urging diplomatic solutions, yet attacks on US sites inside the country
underscore how deeply it is already entangled in the conflict. This posture,
however, has not shielded Iraq from the war’s informational spillover.
Social media
platforms in Iraq have seen a wave of misleading content, including a widely
circulated image falsely claiming that a pilot had been captured after his
aircraft was downed in Basra —an allegation later debunked by authorities.
Other clips have purported to show drone strikes on US bases inside Iraq or
large fires following missile attacks in provinces such as al-Anbar and
Nineveh, while some videos recycled footage from past conflicts or video games,
and others used AI-generated scenes of explosions and military convoys. In
several cases, fabricated satellite images and staged visuals of ballistic
launches were also shared as real-time developments, further blurring the line
between fact and fiction.
Such incidents
highlight the disconnect between Iraq’s cautious political stance and the
intensity of public reaction at home. While Baghdad seeks to stay out of the
conflict militarily, Iraqis are actively engaging with —and being influenced
by— the war through a flood of digital content, leaving the country deeply
affected by its informational dimension.
Government
Response: Security And Freedom
In response,
Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission (CMC) has intensified monitoring
efforts, targeting accounts and platforms accused of spreading disinformation
or inciting instability.
The commission
says it is acting within its regulatory mandate to protect public order,
tracking fabricated news and inflammatory messaging while coordinating with
relevant authorities to pursue legal action against violators.
However, as
enforcement expands, concerns are emerging over the potential for overreach,
particularly in a country where media freedoms remain sensitive. Balancing
national security with constitutionally protected freedom of expression is
becoming increasingly complex, especially when distinguishing between
deliberate disinformation and ordinary user activity.
Manufacturing
Confusion At Scale
Experts warn
that AI has fundamentally altered the economics of misinformation. What once
required significant resources can now be produced rapidly and at minimal cost.
Tech analyst
Othman Akram explained that generative AI tools can simulate realistic military
scenes within minutes, often indistinguishable to the average viewer. These
materials are frequently tailored to specific audiences, aiming to influence
attitudes or reinforce existing biases.
“Rather than
simply spreading false narratives, such content creates a deeper problem:
erosion of trust. Once audiences discover that some content is fake, they may
begin to doubt even verified information.”
This “trust
collapse” effect, Akram argued, is one of the most dangerous consequences of
AI-driven misinformation. “It not only distorts reality but undermines the very
possibility of establishing shared facts.”
Psychological
Toll: Fear, Doubt, And Desensitization
Beyond
political implications, the spread of fabricated content is taking a
psychological toll on Iraqi society.
Psychologist
Karim Al-Jabri told Shafaq News that while rumors have always accompanied wars,
AI-generated visuals carry a stronger emotional impact because they appear
tangible. Unlike traditional misinformation, which can be questioned or
debated, visual content often bypasses critical thinking.
He noted that
repeated exposure to such material can create confusion, anxiety, and a
persistent sense of uncertainty. “Over time, this may lead to desensitization
or, conversely, heightened fear—both of which disrupt social stability.”
Al-Jabri also
pointed to a behavioral factor: the instinct to share. Many users repost videos
and images without verification, accelerating their spread. In the age of AI,
this natural tendency amplifies the speed at which falsehoods circulate.
Educational
technology expert Dr. Mohamad Awada added that the danger extends beyond
immediate emotional reactions to a deeper cognitive shift. He explained that
constant exposure to AI-generated content gradually weakens individuals’
ability to distinguish between credible and fabricated information, especially
among younger audiences who consume news primarily through social media. Awada noted
that algorithms further reinforce this effect by repeatedly exposing users to
similar content, creating “echo chambers” that solidify false perceptions of
reality. “When users are immersed in highly realistic but misleading visuals,
they begin to build their understanding of events on unstable foundations,” he
said, warning that this could reshape public awareness in ways that persist
long after the conflict subsides.
A Conflict
Beyond The Battlefield
As artificial
intelligence continues to evolve, the nature of war is shifting in ways that
extend far beyond physical confrontation. In Iraq, where political balance
remains fragile and trust in institutions uneven, AI-driven misinformation is
introducing a new layer of instability —one that operates quietly but
pervasively, reshaping perceptions as much as realities.
The danger lies
in what people believe, and in their growing uncertainty over what can be
believed at all.
Written and
edited by Shafaq News staff.
