Denmark and Norway pull documentary on Russian espionage over AI source-identification fears

Danish public broadcaster DR and Norwegian public broadcaster NRK have withdrawn a documentary about the activities of Russian intelligence services from their streaming platforms.

The decision was made amid concerns that artificial intelligence tools could be used to identify anonymous sources featured in the film. NRK announced the move on Monday.

Concerns over source safety

The broadcasters indicated that modern AI technology could potentially analyze and cross-reference various data points in ways that reveal the identities of individuals who wished to remain anonymous in the documentary. Given that the film addresses a sensitive subject — Russian intelligence operations — exposing sources' identities could put them at serious risk.

The source material does not specify further details about why the decision was made at this particular time or the exact content of the documentary, but both broadcasters chose to act cautiously by pulling the work from publicly accessible streaming platforms.