Generative AI and the German Far Right: Narratives, Tactics and Digital Strategies

Authors: Anna Hiller & Pablo Maristany de las Casas

Published: 18 February 2025

This publication is also available in German.

This investigation examines how German far-right actors have adopted generative AI. It shows how accounts affiliated with the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), content creators and individual users are using the technology to effectively disseminate far-right beliefs online; generative AI allows these actors to seamlessly integrate well-established narratives with rapidly generated but tailored social media content. This strategy highlights gaps in enforcement of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), despite its provisions designed to combat the abuse of generative AI. 

Our key findings include: 

• • The main vectors of German far-right AI generated content were accounts affiliated with the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, far-right music channels and far-right community groups on Facebook. Content linked to the AfD – which is likely to become the second strongest party in Germany’s February 2025 federal election – came from the main party-operated account, state-level branches and individual politicians.
  • The content created by these accounts is then widely shared and re-posted by individuals on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok without official affiliation to organised far-right groups.
  • Common narratives included attacks on refugees and immigrants, LGBTQ+ and climate activists, and opposition parties. Content calling for “remigration” – the widescale deporting of ethnic minorities regardless of immigration status – was among the narratives which received the highest level of engagement.
  • Far-right users are using generative AI to illustrate their messages and to create video sequences and images to depict scenes for which real images might not be available. This includes common far-right talking points, such as crimes committed by migrants.
  • Other content idealised Germany as a strong country under threat that needs to be saved. AI-generated images, memes and songs are used to create a sense of identity among group members and followers.
  • ISD identified the profiles of three female ‘influencers’ whose pictures were created with generative AI. These profiles share images and reels with far-right narratives while purporting to be real women, aiming to build a parasocial relationship with their audience.
  • Far-right actors are taking advantage of a lack of enforcement of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) by platforms and limitations in the AI Act to spread AIGC. None of the AI-generated far-right posts reported by ISD were removed from the platforms or labelled by the platforms a month after reporting. Only 4 percent of posts were labelled as AI-generated at the time of writing.