A network of TikTok accounts using AI-generated voiceovers to spread political misinformation has amassed over 380 million views, according to a new report from NewsGuard. It identified 41 accounts in English and French that have published 9,784 videos in 458 days, from March 2023 to June 2024.

These accounts, dubbed “AI content farms” by NewsGuard, post an average of one video daily, with some producing up to four AI-narrated videos per day. The content primarily focuses on U.S. and European politics and the Russia-Ukraine war, often spreading false or misleading narratives.

Examples of misinformation include claims that former President Donald Trump was arrested for attacking Maine’s Secretary of State, that NATO deployed troops in Ukraine, and that France could leave the EU “in the coming weeks.” Seventeen of the accounts regularly post pro-Kremlin narratives about the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

NewsGuard reports finding identical scripts across several accounts, each read by different AI voices, suggesting coordination among some accounts. The source of these accounts remains undetermined, with most lacking identifying information in their bios or usernames.

Eighteen accounts appear to qualify for TikTok’s Creator Fund, which pays creators based on views and engagement. To qualify, accounts must have over 10,000 followers and more than 100,000 views in the last 30 days.

Despite TikTok’s September 2023 announcement of a feature enabling users to label AI-generated content, none of the identified videos carried such labels as of July 4, 2024. TikTok’s Community Guidelines require users to label videos using AI to create “realistic-appearing scenes or people.”

In response to NewsGuard’s findings, a TikTok spokesperson referred to the platform’s policies on misinformation and AI-generated content, stating, “TikTok has industry-leading AI-generated content policies and tools to label content, as well as policies that prohibit the spread of harmful misinformation.”

As of July 10, 2024, TikTok had removed 22 of the 41 identified accounts, with 19 remaining active. NewsGuard says the platform continues to address violations of its policies.