China’s struggle to influence global public opinion—particularly in comparison to Russia’s well-documented disinformation campaigns—may be getting a boost from artificial intelligence. GoLaxy, a Beijing-based company, has emerged as a major player in deploying AI tools that monitor, influence and manipulate narratives online. US intelligence officials have been watching the company closely, warning that its “Smart Propaganda System,” known internally as GoPro, could make China a much more formidable force in global information warfare, the New York Times reported.
Internal documents reveal wide reach of operations
Leaked documents from GoLaxy, obtained by researchers at Vanderbilt University, show the firm running influence campaigns in Hong Kong and Taiwan, while also amassing data on American politicians, including 117 members of Congress. GoLaxy reportedly collects millions of social media posts daily—from both Chinese and Western platforms like Weibo, Facebook, and X—to refine personal profiles and track shifting narratives. Its tools are capable of automatically generating and adapting persuasive content to shape discourse in real-time.
What GoLaxy actually does—and denies doing
Despite the trove of internal documents, GoLaxy denies that it conducts psychological profiling, election interference, or any government-directed activities. It describes itself as an independent analytics company using only public data. But the documents suggest deep ties with China’s Ministry of State Security and national security agencies. The company was founded by a state-run scientific institution and has received backing from Sugon, a supercomputing firm blacklisted by the US
Why US officials are alarmed
Unlike past operations involving manual “troll farms,” GoLaxy’s AI can mass-produce propaganda with a level of nuance and personalization that is nearly undetectable. US officials haven’t seen GoLaxy target American elections yet, but the scope of the technology and the targeting of American figures—Republican and possibly Democratic lawmakers, media, academics, and military interests—have raised alarms. The concern is that the tech can be turned outward at any time.
Targeting dissent and foreign elections
The company has already deployed its technology to counter criticism of China’s Zero-Covid policy, suppress dissent over the Hong Kong National Security Law, and meddle in Taiwan’s 2024 elections. The leaked documents show that GoLaxy can identify influential social media voices and flood timelines with pro-China narratives to drown out critical discourse. The AI adapts content in real time to respond to new developments, making it especially potent during political crises.
A new frontier in digital influence warfare
Experts say China is now capable of mounting large-scale, precision-targeted influence operations that go beyond what Russia achieved in 2016. With the US dismantling key anti-disinformation teams, Beijing may have a freer path to shape the global narrative. As GoLaxy’s tools become more advanced, the gap between legitimate public opinion and state-engineered consensus may become harder to detect. Whether China can convert this technological edge into actual geopolitical gains, however, remains to be seen.
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