Israel has spent at least $100 million since 2023 to influence opinions in the U.S., according to Politico, and $1 billion globally, with some of that money going specifically to seed pro-Israel information on the internet in an effort to get picked up by AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude.
The technique to inject information into LLMs is commonly called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), a cousin of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and isn’t just used by Israel, of course. But a PR firm working for the country appears to have utilized an opaque think tank called the Hanover Institute for Public Policy to create reports that might get picked up by AI chatbots to deliver information.
The Guardian reports that the Hanover Institute for Public Policy doesn’t actually exist as a legal entity and has no physical address. There also doesn’t appear to be any information about real staff at the “think tank.” None of the reports list an author, though the group apparently doesn’t think that’s a bad thing.
“The researchers are not named because a finding should stand or fall on its sources rather than on the standing of whoever assembled it, and because the subject attracts harassment,” the Hanover Institute for Public Policy website reads. “That is a considered editorial position, not an oversight.”
Following the terror attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people, Israel launched a war against Gaza that has killed at least 73,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel has lost considerable support in the U.S. since the invasion of Gaza in 2023 and the country’s partnership with the U.S. in February to launch a war against Iran. Sixty percent of American adults hold a negative view of Israel, according to the latest polling from Pew Research, which rises to 70% for Americans under 50 years old.
So it’s not a surprise that Israel would hire people to try to counter that attitude, especially when more and more people get their information from AI chatbots. Half of Americans use AI chatbots, with a quarter of them using AI daily.
The Hanover Institute for Public Policy’s content was created by French PR firm Havas Media, which is required to file paperwork under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The latest FARA filings show Havas subcontractor Piro Inc., an ad agency, is seeding the site with pro-Israel information. In the words of the FARA filing, the goal is to “educate the U.S. public regarding Israel and related issues through publicly distributed content.”
One report from the ghost think tank insists that a large amount of food aid has reached Gaza, a clear attempt to counter information about Israel’s control over what can enter the territory and widespread reports of food and medical aid being denied. The reports also try to suggest that anti-Zionism is the same thing as anti-Semitism.
As 404 Media notes, the website includes a llms.txt file designed to make the content at Hanover Institute for Public Policy easier for LLMs to digest. Piro has a section on its website, AI Story Optimization, that describes its ability to manipulate AI chatbots to sell products. In this case, the product seems to be a country rather than toothpaste or laundry detergent.
The volume of the content is considerable, with a Guardian tally finding 124 reports totaling over 560,000 words published in just nine days. 404 Media believes the content was largely created with AI, though Gizmodo could not independently confirm that claim.
The website for the Hanover Institute for Public Policy doesn’t hide its affiliations on its About page, though there are still plenty of questions left unanswered. The group didn’t immediately respond to inquiries emailed Wednesday. We’ll update this article when we hear back.
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