Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter {beacon} Technology Technology   The Big Story  Election interference efforts ramp up across the ballot Russia attempted to “undermine” Vice President Harris’s campaign using artificial intelligence (AI) videos while China is targeting some GOP congressional candidates ahead of November, Microsoft said in a new report. © Getty Russian operatives have created AI-enhanced deepfake videos portraying Harris in an unfavorable light as the election quickly approaches, according to The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center report.    In one video, Harris was “accused of illegally poaching in Zambia,” while another clip falsely showed the vice president making a “crass reference” to the assassination attempts against former President Trump, the report said.     Most of these AI-generated videos do not receive a lot of engagement, though one video with disinformation about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) received more than 5 million views on the social media platform X in the first 24 hours, Microsoft said.    Increased activity was also observed from Chinese influence operations going after down-ballot Republican candidates and lawmakers who have publicly criticized China.    The targeted campaigns include those of Republican Reps. Michael McCaul (Texas) and Barry Moore (Ala.), along with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). The group also targeted Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is not up for reelection this year.     The group behind these efforts, dubbed Taizi Flood, “parroted antisemitic messages, amplified accusations of corruption and promoted opposition candidates,” Microsoft said.     The targeted lawmakers slammed these influence efforts on Tuesday, while noting they are not surprised.    “We know that the CCP is antisemitic, so it isn’t surprising that they are targeting me and other politicians who support Israel to try sow division in advance of the most important election in our lifetime,” Moore wrote Tuesday.     McCaul said he “considers it a badge of honor” when the CCP “takes issue” with his work. He is the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.    A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy told The Hill presidential elections are domestic affairs for the U.S. and China has “no intention and will not interfere” with it.   “Meanwhile, we hope that the US side will not make an issue of China in the election. The ownership of the relevant social media accounts should be determined on the basis of solid evidence,” the spokesperson said.   Read more at TheHill.com.   Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter, we're Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future:   FAA rule creates ‘operating environment’ for ‘air taxis’ The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the final rule for air taxis and other electric-powered aircraft Tuesday, calling the regulations the “final piece in the puzzle” to introducing these aircraft types. The final regulation lays out the qualifications and training required for instructors and pilots to fly aircraft in the “powered lift” category, along with the operational requirements for …  Full Story   Crypto’s impact on 2024 election will be ‘fascinating to see’: Mulvaney (NewsNation) — The cryptocurrency industry is making use of its millions this election season, pouring more than Big Oil or Big Pharma into candidates in both major political parties. The crypto industry’s main PAC — Fairshake — has endorsed an equal number of candidates on each side, Axios reports. NewsNation political contributor Mick Mulvaney, who served as acting White House chief of staff during the Trump administration, …  Full Story   Jet-tracker who watched Zuckerberg, Trump, Musk says Meta has banned his accounts Meta has removed accounts that track the plane movements of its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, X owner Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Kim Kardashian, former President Trump and others, account owner Jack Sweeney said Tuesday. “Today brings a sense of déjà vu, reminiscent of all my accounts getting suspended on Twitter. My Instagram and Threads account, @elonmusksjet, has been suspended once again,” Sweeney shared in a statement on Threads. “Unlike …  Full Story   The Refresh  News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics:   Policy researcher leaves OpenAI Miles Brundage, who served as head of policy research and senior advisor for AGI readiness during his six years at OpenAI, is leaving the company for the non-profit sector, TechCrunch reported.   Tesla earnings beat expectations The electric vehicle maker brought in $2.2 billion in profits during the third quarter, up 17 percent from last year, The Wall Street Journal reported.   On Our Radar  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: The Washington Post will host an event on "The Future of Money," looking at how artificial intelligence, online lending and crypocurrencies are reshaping finance, on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET.   What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Criticism from ex-Trump officials piles up ahead of Election Day Several former Trump administration officials are speaking out in the final weeks of the 2024 campaign to warn of the risks of electing their onetime … Read more Harris requests permit for political event on Ellipse 1 week from election Vice President Harris’s campaign requested a permit for an event at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., next Tuesday, one week before Election Day. The … Read more     You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!