Members used the hearing to press how information operations enabled by social media and AI fit within the hybrid-warfare problem set.

Representative Fine and other members raised concerns about TikTok and other platforms as vectors for influence and disinformation. Craig Singleton said TikTok is “a key platform for the Chinese Communist Party to influence views in The United States,” and noted public debate over any divestiture deal tied to the app’s ownership. Singleton and other witnesses described AI as a force multiplier for information operations, enabling rapid amplification of divisive narratives.

Laura Cooper warned that in Europe Russia has used information operations to invert narratives about battlefield events and create political leverage. She described a case in which sabotage of rail infrastructure was framed in Polish media to foment anti-Ukrainian sentiment, saying Russia used local actors and information campaigns to shape the domestic reaction.

Witnesses and members agreed on the tension between defending open information systems and countering malign influence; they suggested more investment in public information campaigns, better allied reporting structures and caution in policy tools that might inadvertently constrain free speech.

No legislation was enacted at the hearing; witnesses encouraged continued congressional oversight of AI export approvals, platform governance and allied information-domain cooperation.