In the fourth era of human civilization, during which we witness the penetration of artificial intelligence technologies into various aspects of our daily lives, this technology is transforming from a mere advanced tool into an effective and influential force in shaping public opinion and shaping trends and attitudes around the world. The superior capabilities of artificial intelligence in creating fake videos and images that appear real have astonished technologists and deceived many, heralding the emergence of a new and advanced form of smart soft power. This is a new form of indirect influence on individuals and societies, by integrating traditional soft power tools (such as media, culture, and diplomacy) with artificial intelligence technologies (such as deep fakes, behavioral analysis, content recommendations, and affective computing). The goal is to steer collective perception, shape public opinion, and reshape values ​​and attitudes without the use of hard power or direct intervention. Here, the need to understand the role of these technologies in highly sensitive contexts such as soft warfare emerges, particularly in Iraq, which suffers from a clear and profound fragility in its technical and media infrastructure and societal awareness, in addition to other supporting factors that contribute to preparing the ground for smart soft power to achieve its goals. This article focuses on the use of artificial intelligence to falsify content and manipulate collective perception in Iraq, with the goal of reshaping public opinion or controlling the trends of groups in society to achieve political, factional, or foreign agendas.

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