OpenAI bans Chinese influence campaigns targeting AI data centers with fake accounts
13 Sources
[1]
OpenAI bans China-linked ChatGPT accounts that amplified US data center electricity price backlash -- used AI-generated cartoons to stoke fears over U.S. data center energy costs
"Data Center Bandwagon" posed as Americans and built comic strips around capacity auction prices. OpenAI says it has banned two clusters of ChatGPT accounts it believes are operating from China, which used its models for covert influence campaigns targeting U.S. tech and policy debates, including
[2]
OpenAI Bans Chinese Accounts for Anti-AI Influence Campaigns
The two sets of blocked accounts were using ChatGPT to generate content criticizing AI data centers and President Trump's tariffs, OpenAI says. Just hours after submitting its S-1 for an IPO, OpenAI on Wednesday revealed that it has shut down two clusters of China-based ChatGPT accounts that were
[3]
Chinese agents caught rebuilding botnets and stirring the pot on AI datacenter debate
Multiple reports indicate that Chinese operatives continue using every tech tool at their disposal - including American AI - to amass data on and manipulate everyone from security-clearance holders to everyday US citizens. And they're trying to influence public opinion on building datacenters for
[4]
OpenAI says Chinese propaganda is being deployed to foment dissent over tariffs, data centers
WASHINGTON, June 10 (Reuters) - Chinese propagandists have been trying to use OpenAI's flagship chat to gin up opposition to Donald Trump's tariffs and intervene in American debates over data centers and AI, OpenAI said in a report published on Wednesday, opens new tab. The company said its
[5]
OpenAI says fake accounts from China tried to turn Americans against data centers - Engadget
The company has published a report about China-linked influence campaigns that used ChatGPT. OpenAI has published a report about ChatGPT users, who it says were likely based in China, that used the chatbot to plan a campaign designed to sway Americans' opinions about AI data centers. It divided
[6]
OpenAI says China-linked accounts used ChatGPT to turn Americans against data centers
Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. WTF?! OpenAI has published a report claiming that China-based ChatGPT users asked the chatbot for ways to influence Americans' opinions of data centers in the US. But the campaigns had little to no
[7]
OpenAI Adds Fuel to Republican Drive to Label Anti-Data Center Movement a Chinese Psy-Op
China is weaponizing ChatGPT to spread anti-AI propaganda aimed at Americans, according to OpenAI. In a report published Wednesday, the company said it shut down a fleet of bogus ChatGPT accounts generating content for social media posts that depicted data centers as being responsible for American
[8]
OpenAI says China-linked accounts used ChatGPT to fuel US data centre opposition
OpenAI found China-linked ChatGPT accounts generating anti-data centre content. The campaign flopped. But the legitimate debate over power costs is real. OpenAI said a cluster of ChatGPT accounts linked to China attempted to stir up local opposition to US data centres by posing as Americans and
[9]
OpenAI says suspected fake China-linked accounts tried to sway the debate about US data centers
* China used ChatGPT to generate comments, posts, and cartoons * The content capitalized on issues surrounding data centers and tariffs * The material was shared on social media to exacerbate existing tensions OpenAI has banned a number of accounts that it says were linked to social media
[10]
China-based operatives used ChatGPT to shape AI data centers and tariff debates
Why it matters: The campaigns don't appear to have been effective, but they show how pro-China actors are testing AI tools to amplify existing political and economic divisions in the U.S. Driving the news: OpenAI said it uncovered two operations that used ChatGPT to generate posts, comments and
[11]
OpenAI says it busted a shadowy Chinese operation that used ChatGPT to whip up data centre hate (and that achieved basically nothing)
ChatGPT developer OpenAI has published a new security report alleging that, in essence, its own tools are being deployed against it. The company's June 2026 threat report is titled "PRC-linked influence operations are targeting AI debates in the US," and claims that China-based actors are using
[12]
China likely behind anti-data center campaign in US: OpenAI
OpenAI revealed Wednesday that influence operators, likely based in China, used ChatGPT accounts to push certain narratives about American artificial intelligence and technology policy debates. In a report, published Wednesday, the AI firm said it discovered two clusters of ChatGPT accounts
[13]
OpenAI Reveals Alleged Chinese Network Used ChatGPT To Influence US Debate On Trump Tariffs, AI Policy -
Chinese propaganda operatives allegedly exploited OpenAI's chatbot platform to amplify opposition to President Donald Trump's tariffs and influence U.S. discussions on data centers and artificial intelligence. OpenAI's report identified two main clusters of activity. The first, termed the "Data
Share
Copy Link
OpenAI has shut down two clusters of China-linked ChatGPT accounts that used AI-generated cartoons and social media comments to stoke fears about rising electricity prices from AI data centers. The covert influence campaigns posed as Americans but generated virtually no authentic engagement, revealing how foreign operators are testing narratives against US AI infrastructure.
OpenAI Disrupts China-Linked ChatGPT Accounts Running Covert Operations
OpenAI has banned two clusters of China-linked ChatGPT accounts that orchestrated covert influence campaigns targeting US tech and policy debates, the company revealed in a detailed threat report published Wednesday
1
. The first group, dubbed "Data Center Bandwagon," used AI-generated cartoons and social media comments to amplify concerns about AI data centers driving up household electricity prices2
. Operators prompted ChatGPT in Simplified Chinese via VPNs while posing as Americans from diverse backgrounds on X, formerly Twitter1
. Despite these efforts, OpenAI's investigation found the activity generated virtually no authentic engagement3
.
Source: Benzinga
OpenAI assessed that the Data Center Bandwagon operators were likely part of a social media team at a private Chinese tech company working for provincial-level government clients
1
. They requested comic strips about grid operator capacity auction prices, drawing on regional newspaper reporting, then posted the output under hashtags like #capacityauction alongside links to legitimate news coverage1
. The group even uploaded files to ChatGPT describing their objectives and strategies for swaying public opinion and establishing fake social media accounts without detection5
.Real Concerns Exploited by Foreign Influence Operations
While the Chinese influence campaigns leveraged fabricated personas, they latched onto genuine controversies surrounding US data center energy costs. PJM Interconnection's independent market monitor has documented an "irreversible" 75.5% increase in power costs across the largest US grid region, with wholesale electricity prices near some data center clusters climbing as much as 267% over five years
1
. Three US senators have demanded answers from Amazon, Google, and Meta regarding costs passed to residential customers1
. "This was not a case of an influence operation creating a debate," explained Ben Nimmo, principal investigator at OpenAI. "The debate existed already. This was an influence operation from China trying to interfere in it"3
.OpenAI rated the activity Category One on the Breakout Scale, indicating it remained confined to one platform with no evidence of reaching genuine audiences
1
. Yet the significance lies not in their success but in what they reveal about foreign operators testing narratives against AI infrastructure—a foundation of US technological leadership and economic growth2
.Second Campaign Targets US Tech Policies and Tariffs
Source: The Register
The second cluster, designated "Tech and Tariffs," generated anti-tariff content under specific instructions to depict President Trump but never Chinese leader Xi Jinping
1
. This group produced bulk comment batches in English, Italian, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese, targeting Taiwanese audiences1
. One operator described the accounts as a "water army," a Chinese term for coordinated troll networks, and asked ChatGPT to design systems for scraping and analyzing social media posts from flagged individuals1
. OpenAI's model returned generic data storage advice and declined to assist with collection1
.Fake accounts within the same X network repeatedly posted fabricated claims that ChatGPT user data had been compromised, which OpenAI interprets as an attempt to damage its reputation
1
. The cartoons featured Trump behaving disruptively on the global stage, including swinging a hammer at a wall labeled "Global Future"4
.Related Stories
Broader Pattern of Chinese Propaganda Operations Using Generative AI
OpenAI compared these campaigns to the 2022 Spamouflage operation, which researchers at ASPI and Mandiant identified targeting rare earth companies after Beijing's 14th Five-Year Plan prioritized rare earths
1
. The new activity followed adoption of the 15th Five-Year Plan recommendations, elevating AI as a strategic industry for China1
. This pattern demonstrates how foreign influence operations have adapted to leverage generative AI platforms for disinformation campaigns.
Source: Gizmodo
Meanwhile, separate reporting from Lumen's Black Lotus Labs revealed a "significant resurgence" of botnets linked to Chinese government-backed groups, including Volt Typhoon
3
. The JDY cluster has surged to more than 1,500 compromised routers and IoT devices, focusing on identifying vulnerable infrastructure shortly after public vulnerability disclosures3
.The Chinese Embassy in Washington stated it was unfamiliar with OpenAI's research but "firmly oppose any groundless attacks or smears against China," adding that Beijing works to "ensure AI is a force for good and for all"
4
. Last week, three Republican House members sent a letter to the FBI and White House advisors urging investigation into foreign influence campaigns and "billionaire-backed activism" to slow US AI development2
. The disclosure arrives just hours after OpenAI submitted its S-1 filing for an IPO, making the timing particularly significant as the company seeks to clear concerns before going public2
.🟡 просьбаReferences
Summarized by
Navi
[2]
[3]
[4]
Related Stories
X Uncovers 200,000-Strong Chinese Bot Farm Amplifying Fears About AI Data Centers
28 Aug 2026•Policy and Regulation
OpenAI Uncovers Global AI Misuse in Cyber Operations and Influence Campaigns
06 Jun 2025•Technology
OpenAI reveals how Chinese law enforcement exploited ChatGPT to harass dissidents globally
26 Feb 2026•Technology
Recent Highlights
Recent Highlights
Today's Top Stories
Don’t drown in AI news. We cut through the noise - filtering, ranking and summarizing the most important AI news, breakthroughs and research daily. Follow topics that matter to you and stay ahead.
