Japanese Right-Wing Groups Use AI to Fabricate Historical Revisionist Content

China's Ministry of National Security has reported that Japanese right-wing groups are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to fabricate historical revisionist content and spread disinformation. The ministry stated these groups are using crowdsourcing platforms to hire individuals for the mass production of videos that deny historical events, including the Nanjing Massacre, and falsely portray Japan's treatment of civilians.

The groups reportedly post job advertisements on crowdsourcing platforms like CrowdWorks, soliciting "critical of China" videos. Instructors provide users with detailed guidelines, enabling them to generate smear videos using simple AI prompts within minutes.

According to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' public budget data, the country has allocated over 56 billion yen since 2015 for "strategic overseas communication," largely aimed at shaping negative perceptions of China. This funding includes efforts to alter historical understanding and downplay Japan's wartime atrocities.

An investigation by Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper revealed that a 30-second video falsifying Chinese history is priced at 5,000 yen. Furthermore, negative Chinese content receives a reward of 1,000 yen per 1,000 views, more than triple the rate for ordinary videos, with additional bonuses for high viewership.

The Ministry of National Security expressed significant concern that AI-generated false historical narratives could mislead younger generations with incomplete historical knowledge. They also warned that such content could contaminate the training data for large AI models, potentially leading to distorted responses to historical questions. The ministry emphasized the need for strict prevention measures against these problematic videos.