Generative artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly prominent role in the information war in Mali, with rival factions deploying the technology to varying degrees, according to a new study.
The analysis by the Timbuktu Institute, a Dakar-based think tank, said generative AI was being used to “amplify and accelerate” existing divisions in the West African country, turning Mali into an “open-air laboratory” for the use of the technology in warfare.
Mali has faced a prolonged security crisis since 2012, driven by jihadist violence as well as activities by criminal gangs and armed separatist groups.
Since April, fighters aligned with the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the Tuareg separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) have launched a series of attacks aimed at weakening Mali’s military junta.
The military government, which has distanced itself from Western powers and strengthened its ties with Moscow, has received support from Russia’s Africa Corps paramilitary force in its fight against insurgents.
The Timbuktu Institute said the use of generative AI differed among the various actors, depending on their resources, capabilities and objectives.
It said JNIM’s use of the technology remained “limited”, although its media arm, Az-Zallaqa, published AI-generated posters in June 2026.
AI-generated content has been more prominent in online spaces associated with the FLA, according to the report.
The think tank said several TikTok accounts had featured AI-generated characters portrayed as real people delivering messages favourable to the separatist group.
The virtual characters were used to “humanise” the group’s cause while making it harder to determine who was behind the content, the report said.
However, the most advanced use of generative AI identified in the analysis was linked to Russia and its Africa Corps forces.
The report recalled that Meta and OpenAI identified a Russian operation in 2024 that used AI models to generate commentary, articles and images in English and French targeting audiences across sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the Timbuktu Institute, Africa Corps has the resources and technical expertise to incorporate AI into more sophisticated information operations combining AI-generated content, fake accounts and coordinated dissemination strategies.
The findings highlight the growing role of artificial intelligence in modern conflicts, where digital propaganda and disinformation are increasingly deployed alongside conventional military operations. (Additional report from AP)
