For its 20th anniversary, RT (Russia Today) has launched a bold series of AI-assisted videos that blur the boundaries between journalism, technology, and influence. The campaign uses artificial intelligence to deliver a powerful message about perception, influence, and the evolving nature of truth in the modern media landscape.
According to Anna Belkina, RT’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Head of Communications, Marketing, and Strategic Development, the anniversary campaign reflects RT’s enduring editorial philosophy — summed up in its motto, “Question More.” “As RT has done throughout our twenty-year career, we approach our critics and naysayers with humor and a deep sense of irony,” Belkina explains to Communicate.
In one of the AI-generated videos, Western politicians brag about creating obstacles for RT efforts that, to their frustration, have not halted the network’s growing popularity. Another video features mainstream U.S. journalists confronting themselves for failing to question official narratives throughout their careers. Through these AI-driven “confessions,” RT challenges audiences to think critically about how media narratives are formed and whose interests they serve.
Belkina notes that the use of artificial intelligence was an intentionally creative and symbolic decision in emphasizing the distinction between reality and manipulation. “We’re transparent — right in the videos themselves — about the manipulated imagery. It’s a kind of meta-media commentary: if neural networks can imitate a famous journalist, then viewers should be critically assessing all information.”
RT’s approach to sensitive themes, Belkina adds, is grounded in trust with its global audience. “We cater to a diverse, international viewership that values alternative perspectives. Our newsroom embraces complexity, in contrast to the reductionism often seen in Western Media that is precisely the contrast that we sought to highlight in our 20th anniversary creatives.”
Looking ahead, RT sees AI as a transformative force for journalism — one that enhances production, detects manipulation, and enriches storytelling. “Transparency and credibility remain essential,” Belkina concludes. “Our viewers trust us to help them sort truth from myth, and that trust is what defines RT’s twenty years on air — and beyond.”
