The Dark Truth Behind AI Bot Wars on X: How Epstein Files Exposed a Pro-Trump Network

Hello everyone. Today, we’re diving headfirst into the digital cesspool that is the modern political landscape, where the only thing more artificial than the candidates’ smiles are the bots propping them up on social media. Yes, we’re talking about the latest revelation from Alethea, an analytics firm that has uncovered a network of AI-generated bots on X (formerly known as Twitter, back when it had a shred of dignity) that are doing their damnedest to sway public opinion in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

Now, before you start clutching your pearls and screaming about the end of democracy, let’s take a scalpel to this mess and see what we’re really dealing with. According to Alethea, at least 400 fake X profiles were involved in this campaign, using what they’ve dubbed “PromptPasta.” Unlike the old-school “copypasta” where bots would mindlessly regurgitate the same phrase ad nauseam, these AI-driven bots use large language models (LLMs) to generate slightly varied responses to prompts, making them harder to detect. It’s like whack-a-mole, but the moles are all wearing different hats and speaking in slightly different dialects.

The targets of this digital onslaught? Well, it seems the bots had a particular hard-on for sowing distrust in Kamala Harris and rallying support for Donald Trump. After Trump’s victory and return to office (because apparently, we live in the darkest timeline), the bots shifted gears and started lavishing praise on figures in his administration, including Health and Human Services Secretary and White House Press Secretary. It’s almost as if they’re trying to gaslight the entire internet into believing that these people are competent.

But here’s where it gets interesting. When Trumpworld started having a collective aneurysm over the president’s handling of classified files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the bots couldn’t keep their story straight. Some started attacking Trump and Attorney General, while others continued to defend the administration. It’s like watching a group of NPCs glitch out in a Bethesda game—entertaining, but also a little bit sad.

Alethea’s report highlights the reflective nature of LLM-based automation. These bots aren’t following a strict script; they’re drawing on broader trends in news and social media content. So when the narrative shifts, the bots can end up contradicting themselves, much like a politician caught in a lie. For example, when the Justice Department and FBI released a memo stating there was no evidence of an Epstein “client list,” some bots continued to stand by the president, while others started accusing him of a cover-up. It’s almost poetic, in a tragic sort of way.

Now, let’s talk about the platforms themselves. Elon Musk, the self-proclaimed savior of free speech and destroyer of bots, promised to eradicate these digital pests when he took over Twitter. Fast forward three years, and it seems X is still infested with more bots than a Destiny 2 raid. At least 70 bots in the network identified by Alethea were removed by X during the firm’s investigation, but many others have stuck around like a bad rash. It’s almost as if the platform is more interested in selling blue checkmarks than actually enforcing its own policies.

But let’s not put all the blame on the platforms. As Vincent Conitzer, director of the at Carnegie Mellon University, points out, we as citizens have a responsibility to be skeptical of the content we consume. In principle, the platforms can try to help, but whether they do or not, we all need to take care with this. It’s a bit like going to a dodgy clinic—you can’t just trust that the doctor knows what they’re doing; sometimes you have to do your own research.

The real kicker here is that AI is lowering the barrier to sophisticated influence operations. It’s never been easier to create content rapidly and at scale, and the platforms are struggling to keep up. We’re living in an age where you can’t trust anything you see online, because for all you know, it was written by a bot with the IQ of a toaster.

So, what’s the prognosis? Well, it’s not looking good. The internet is awash with misleading spam, from sketchy links in your inbox to bots trying to lure you into political arguments. AI holds great promise for those seeking to deceive us by digital means, and it’s only going to get worse. It’s a time to be more skeptical than ever of what you read—and always question whether a human being wrote it.

In conclusion, this whole debacle is a damning indictment of the state of our digital discourse. The platforms are failing to police their own backyards, AI is making it easier than ever to spread misinformation, and the average user is left to fend for themselves in a sea of digital sewage. If this is the future of political engagement, then we’re all in for a world of hurt.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is entirely my opinion.

Source: How the Epstein Files Blew Up a Pro-Trump AI Bot Network on X