AI chatbots are no longer just amplifying propaganda, they're building emotional bonds to deliver it. By exploiting loneliness and parasocial dependency, today's large language models can shift political opinions by up to 10 percentage points, outperforming traditional campaign tools. As autonomous AI agents coordinate influence operations without human direction, loneliness has become the defining attack surface of modern information warfare.

During the last week we observed, collected and analyzed endpoints of information related to cyber-based hostile influence campaigns (including Cyfluence attacks). This weeks report is a summary of what we regard as the main events.

CRC researchers have identified an emerging coordinated influence network targeting English-language discourse on the South China Sea. The network combines Chinese state-affiliated institutions, researchers, and inauthentic social media accounts to promote pro-PRC narratives. With ~35% bot-like amplifiers and activity surging around key regional events, the campaign shows clear signs of centralized coordination in its early establishment stages.

During the last week we observed, collected and analyzed endpoints of information related to cyber-based hostile influence campaigns (including Cyfluence attacks). This weeks report is a summary of what we regard as the main events.

As cyber and influence operations converge, traditional framings fall short. The Cyfluence Research Center introduces C2SPM, Cognitive and Cyber Security Posture Management, a framework adapting proven cybersecurity principles to defend Managed Contested Spaces such as cities, campuses, and workplaces against integrated cognitive and digital threats in near real time.

The Urban Cyfluence Framework introduces “Cyfluence,” a hybrid concept capturing the convergence of cyber threats and influence operations. As cities grow more digitally dependent, disruptions increasingly intersect across infrastructure, communication, and public trust. The framework addresses a key gap by integrating physical, digital, and cognitive dimensions of urban risk.