OpenAI bans Chinese influence campaigns targeting AI data centers with fake accounts

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 one called "Data Center Bandwagon," that produced social media comments and comic strips blaming AI data centers for rising household electricity bills. Whoever was operating the accounts prompted ChatGPT in Simplified Chinese via VPNs, and posed on X as Americans from a range of backgrounds. Yet OpenAI's full threat report found that the activity generated virtually no authentic engagement. A second cluster, "Tech and Tariffs," generated anti-tariff cartoons under instructions to depict President Trump but never Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and was linked to a network of fake X accounts spreading false claims that ChatGPT user data had been stolen. OpenAI assessed that the Data Center Bandwagon operators were likely a social media team at a private Chinese tech company working for provincial-level government clients. Among other requests, they asked ChatGPT for comic strips about a grid operator's capacity auction prices, drawing on a regional newspaper's reporting, then posted the output on X under hashtags such as #capacityauction, alongside links to legitimate news coverage. While no grid operator was named, capacity auction pricing links back to a real, well-documented dispute: PJM Interconnection's independent market monitor has blamed data centers for an "irreversible" 75.5% increase in power costs across the largest U.S. grid region, with wholesale prices near some data center clusters having climbed as much as 267% in five years. Three U.S. senators have demanded answers from Amazon, Google, and Meta over costs passed to residential customers. "This was not a case of an influence operation creating a debate," Ben Nimmo, principal investigator at OpenAI, said. OpenAI rated the activity Category One on the Breakout Scale, meaning it stayed on one platform, with no evidence that it reached genuine audiences. The Tech and Tariffs cluster poked fun at U.S.-China competition around tariffs, rare earths, AI, 5G, and industrial resilience, and generated bulk comment batches in English, Italian, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese, the latter aimed at audiences in Taiwan. One operator described the accounts as a "water army," a Chinese term for coordinated troll networks, and asked ChatGPT to design a system for scraping and analyzing social media posts from individuals flagged as risks. OpenAI said its model returned generic data storage advice and declined to help with collection. Fake accounts in the same X network repeatedly posted fabricated claims that ChatGPT user data had been compromised, which OpenAI reckons is an attempt to damage its own reputation. In its full threat report, OpenAI compared the campaigns to the 2022 Spamouflage operation, which researchers at ASPI and Mandiant found targeting Lynas Rare Earths, Appia, and USA Rare Earth after Beijing's 14th Five-Year Plan prioritized rare earths. The new activity followed the adoption of the 15th Five-Year Plan recommendations, elevating AI as a strategic industry for China. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.

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 reportedly using its models to spread false narratives about US data centers and tariffs. The first group of banned accounts used ChatGPT to generate comments and images linking AI data centers to higher electricity bills for families, while the second set generated content that criticized President Trump's tariffs "as attempts to dominate technological competition." OpenAI calls the first set the "Data Center Bandwagon" campaign and the second the "Tech and Tariffs" campaign. According to the company, the latter group may also have been involved in social media campaigns that said ChatGPT user data has been compromised. "It shows PRC-origin influence operators testing narratives against AI infrastructure -- a foundation of US technological leadership, economic growth, and the broader democratic AI ecosystem," OpenAI says. The development arrives at a time when many people are concerned about the downsides of the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure. Some are upset with the noise they make, and others are worried about excessive water usage. Tech CEOs, including OpenAI's Sam Altman, have tried to dismiss these claims, but they keep resurfacing. For OpenAI, it's imperative to clear the air as much as possible before its planned IPO. There are also murmurs about the US government wanting a stake in the company. "Foreign influence operations have long sought to latch onto existing local issues and sincerely held beliefs, using them to build credibility, amplify divisions or exacerbate public distrust," OpenAI says in its blog post. The company adds that it published these actions to expose and counter foreign campaigns that use AI to shift public opinion about AI. Last week, three Republican House members sent a letter to the FBI and White House advisors, urging the Trump administration to investigate "foreign influence campaigns and 'billionaire-backed activism' to slow US AI development." In February, the Supreme Court found that Trump exceeded his authority by using the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose his reciprocal tariffs. Disclosure: Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

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 AI, albeit without success so far. One of these reports found a "significant resurgence" of a botnet linked to Chinese government-backed goons, including Volt Typhoon, which previously used a covert network of connected devices to burrow deep into critical US networks and preposition for future destructive attacks. In January 2024, the FBI said it killed Volt's KV-botnet, comprised of hundreds of end-of-life routers and other internet-connected devices. At the time, KV-botnet consisted of four clusters, with the KV cluster primarily being used as a covert data transfer network, and the JDY cluster used for scanning and reconnaissance. In a Wednesday report, Lumen's Black Lotus Labs said that while the KV cluster became largely defunct after the law enforcement takedown, the JDY cluster remains an active threat, and has since surged to more than 1,500 compromised routers and IoT devices. "Analysis of this activity shows a clear focus on identifying vulnerable infrastructure shortly after public vulnerability disclosures, suggesting that reconnaissance output is rapidly operationalized by China-nexus advanced persistent threat (APT) actors," the threat intel team wrote. "This targeted focus has been observed across a range of sectors, with the US military and associated entities as the most prominent." While the botnet resurgence poses the most pressing threat, and the security shop recommends all enterprises implement CISA and NCSC guidance for mitigating Volt Typhoon activity and defending against China-nexus covert networks of compromised devices, another report indicates that China's attempts at influence operations haven't died down, either. Using American AI for covert ops about ... American AI OpenAI in a Wednesday report said it banned ChatGPT accounts likely originating from China after they used the American AI company's models to generate content for covert operations about - wait for it - American AI. While neither of the two clusters seemed to have much success in sowing chaos or swaying opinions, the fact that they tried at all is significant, according to Ben Nimmo, principal investigator on OpenAI's Intelligence and Investigations team. "Neither campaign appears to have gained much authentic engagement," Nimmo told reporters. "They're important for what they reveal about the intentions of influence operators from China and the narratives they're testing and seeking to amplify." The first cluster used ChatGPT to generate social media content and images for an operation claiming datacenters and AI applications are increasing electricity demand and causing higher costs for ordinary Americans. "For example, they asked for comic strips about a power grid operator's capacity auction prices based on reporting from a legitimate regional paper," the report says. "They asked ChatGPT to focus the comments on rising capacity prices as a consequence of peak electricity demand, framing the new demand as coming from data centers and AI applications and argued that these costs were ultimately passed to ordinary households." The operators then posted these comments and images on X, likely using fake accounts, with links to real news stories about datacenters. OpenAI suspects the operators are part of a social-media team at a private Chinese tech company that provides services for Chinese provincial-level government clients. "This was not a case of an influence operation creating a debate," Nimmo said. "The debate existed already. This was an influence operation from China trying to interfere in it. We didn't see any signs that they succeeded." The second cluster of banned ChatGPT accounts also likely originated in China and used OpenAI's models to write comments and draw political cartoons criticizing US tech policies and tariffs. "Interestingly, the operators specified in their prompts that the content should not include cartoons of Xi Jinping in the output and should only include President Trump," Nimmo said. These accounts, all writing prompts in simplified Chinese and using VPNs to access the AI systems, also used ChatGPT to edit work reports and help design social media monitoring systems. "This isn't the first time that we've seen actors in China trying to come up with ideas for social media monitoring," Nimmo said. In February, OpenAI said it banned ChatGPT accounts believed to be linked to Chinese government entities attempting to use AI models to surveil individuals and social media accounts. If AI doesn't work, bribery might? If Chinese agents can't use AI systems to unearth sensitive information, there are always fake websites and job offers promising cash for state secrets. We've seen Beijing-linked government snoops use these tactics in the past, and according to the US Justice Department, they're still using this scam (because it works). On Wednesday, the feds said they obtained a warrant for and seized 13 fake consulting company websites used to target US persons, including current and former security clearance holders with access to classified and sensitive government information. The domains include centrikglobalconsulting.com, rightinfoconsult.com, finnaclevesperconsulting.com, cydfconsulting.com, pulsewaveglobal.com, catalystglobalsolutions.com, thehorizzen.com, geoindopacific.com, gpf-ina.org, safesec-group.com, thetruthinfo.com, Vandercons.com, and gulfpeace.org. Since November 2023, these websites and associated job postings on social media, LinkedIn, and other hiring platforms advertised "consulting" jobs, including "Senior Analyst" and "International Affairs Consultant" positions. Suspected PRC operatives used the sites and job listings to recruit applicants and bribe them for sensitive information, DOJ alleges. "The conspirators have encouraged applicants and recruits to share confidential and sensitive information in violation of their official duties and of particular interest to the People's Republic of China (PRC) government," according to the court documents. "The recruiters pressured candidates to share confidential information and reports from 'insider sources' in violation of their official duties." The court documents allege the conspirators then paid the recruits for these reports using online accounts in the names of fictitious individuals, and cryptocurrency to hide their identities and the source of the payments. ®

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 efforts, dating to late 2025 and early 2026, appeared to have had little or no effect, but it is another indication of how central generative AI is becoming in digital influence campaigns - even ones aimed against AI companies themselves. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said that while it was not familiar with OpenAI's research, "we firmly oppose any groundless attacks or smears against China" and that Beijing was working ⁠to "ensure AI is a force for good and for all." OpenAI said it caught one set of Chinese-speaking users using ChatGPT to come up with slogans and cartoons critiquing Trump's trade and tech policy that were later posted to X. The cartoons featured Trump behaving disruptively on the global stage, for example by swinging a hammer at a wall labeled "Global Future" or sawing apart a ladder he was standing on. The same group also used the platform to generate Chinese comments for use in the comment sections of Chinese-language articles, as well as content in Italian and Japanese. X's owner, xAI, did not return an email seeking ⁠comment. OpenAI said it had traced another set of users to a Chinese tech company that did government work, although it did not disclose the firm's identity. It said that group tried to intervene in debates over AI and data centers, a hot-button issue in America, where more than a dozen states have or are weighing restrictions on their ⁠construction. Sample cartoons shared by OpenAI painted the industry as greedy profiteers whose electricity consumption was harming ordinary citizens. Ben Nimmo, a principal investigator for OpenAI, told journalists that the operations seemed geared toward manipulating "a legitimate debate about American AI and ⁠wider American tech policies. Under the circumstances it's particularly ironic that they tried to use American AI to do it." Although the influence operations did not appear to have gone anywhere, the use of AI-assisted ⁠propaganda is another illustration of how ubiquitous AI-generated imagery has become, even in propaganda critical of the industry. Last week, the tech publication 404 Media said that digital content farms were using AI-generated imagery, opens new tab to produce memes opposing data centers. Reporting by Raphael Satter; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Franklin Paul Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

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 the users into two clusters, the first of which it had designated the "Data Center Bandwagon" group. Accounts categorized in the group allegedly asked ChatGPT to generate English-language talking points and images, such as comic strips, which focus on how AI data centers drive up demand in electricity and how that leads to higher bills for consumers. The company says these users posed as Americans from a variety of backgrounds on social media, where they had posted the text and image output they got from ChatGPT. OpenAI believes they're part of a social media team at a private Chinese company working for local government clients. They apparently even uploaded a file to the chatbot describing their objectives and strategies on how to sway public opinion and how to establish fake social media accounts without getting detected. This group also targeted Chinese people based in other countries, even going as far as to ask ChatGPT to generate insults meant to harass Chinese dissidents and political commentators. While posing as US-based Chinese immigrants and professionals, they egged online public personalities to speak more about US policy failures, as well. It's worth noting that while the users most likely used inauthentic accounts to post on social media, the company says they posted links to "legitimate news stories about the power grid operator's capacity auctions and data center power demand." The rise of electricity costs in towns and cities near AI data centers is a very real concern and is one of the first effects of the AI boom that people felt firsthand. According to a Bloomberg report, electricity now costs as much as 267 percent more for a month compared to five years ago in areas close to data centers, because their energy demands outstrip supply. Meanwhile, the second cluster of accounts that OpenAI discovered generated comments and images criticizing US tariffs and tech policies. They specifically focused on generating content critical of the US and emphasized that the country has been backstabbing allies. This group asked ChatGPT to keep Chinese President Xi Jinping out of the images they generated and told the chatbot to write comments in English, Italian, Japanese and traditional Chinese to target Taiwanese audiences. OpenAI admits the campaigns failed to gain much authentic engagement and that they haven't exactly shifted public opinion. Based on OpenAI's report itself, they focused on real issues that are already controversial and discussed widely online in the first place. The company explains that the reason these campaigns are significant is because the "operators attempted to covertly insert themselves into an ongoing American debate about the future of the country's AI capabilities while hiding who they were and what motivated them." As for why the campaigns chose to use an American AI chatbot instead of, say, DeepSeek, even OpenAI couldn't tell. "We are not in a position to determine what drove this choice," its report reads.

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 effect, and it's not as if people's opinions needed much swaying, anyway. OpenAI writes that the now-banned accounts were "supporting covert influence operations that promoted narratives in an attempt to manipulate a legitimate debate about American AI and wider tech policies." The first cluster of these accounts generated social media comments and images claiming that data center buildouts for AI were increasing electricity prices for average families. OpenAI has named this cluster the "Data Center Bandwagon" campaign. From late 2025 to early 2026, the accounts asked ChatGPT to generate English-language short comments and images about data centers and AI applications increasing electricity demand and causing higher costs for ordinary Americans. The accounts often created comic strips about data centers creating higher demand for electricity and, in the process, pushing up electricity prices for consumers. The AI was also used to add text to generic electricity marketing images suggesting that citizens were subsidizing AI infrastructure. This content was then posted on social media platforms by accounts posing as Americans from different backgrounds. OpenAI does not allow its models to be accessed from China, so it's assumed a VPN was used in these cases. The company says the accounts were likely part of a social media operations team at a private Chinese technology company conducting work for provincial-level government clients. The operators also uploaded a separate report to ChatGPT describing their objectives and strategies for influencing public opinion and creating social media accounts designed to evade platform detection systems. OpenAI identified a second cluster of accounts that had used ChatGPT to generate content criticizing US tariffs and tech policies. A common theme was US-China technological competition, claiming the US was seeking technological dominance and rule-making power while backstabbing allies. The accounts specified that China's leader Xi Jinping not be included in the generated content. OpenAI says the campaigns had little impact, though it's not as if data centers had a huge amount of support to begin with. A report last week found that 71% of Americans now oppose these facilities being built near their homes, up from 42% just nine months ago. When discussing rising electricity prices, the report says the accounts "claimed" this was the case. But it really is happening, as noted by Bloomberg, which found that prices have risen by up to 267% in areas near data centers. A skeptic would argue that OpenAI, a company that arguably kicked off the AI revolution, would want to portray anti-data center sentiment as a Chinese influence campaign. There have even been calls from Republicans to investigate whether this opposition stems from China's hidden hand. But beyond rising electricity prices, there are also concerns about data centers' environmental impact, heavy water usage, consumption of valuable land, and the fact that many people resent AI in general. It's easy to understand why so many people hate them even without foreign help.

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 households' rising energy costs. The creators of the accounts used VPNs (ChatGPT isn't available in China) and appear to have been "conducting work for Chinese provincial-level government clients," according to OpenAI. The AI-powered disinformation campaign's reach and impact were minimal, the report said. Still, it was a glimpse of a future in which foreign adversaries harness publicly available AI tools to exacerbate political divisions within the U.S. to gain a geopolitical edge. "The operation sought to exploit and amplify existing public concerns about energy prices and local impacts of data center development," the report said, "but we found no evidence of meaningful breakout beyond its own activity." In addition to the accounts that were trying to fan the flames of anti-data center sentiments, another group of now-deactivated accounts was being used to generate social media posts portraying the Trump administration's Tariff policies as stifling tech competition abroad. A political boon OpenAI's evidence of government-backed Chinese hackers trying to oppose the American AI industry could be welcome news for many Republicans. Earlier this month, GOP lawmakers began calling upon the Trump administration to investigate "foreign influence campaigns targeting artificial intelligence (AI) development in the U.S.," according to an open letter addressed to David Sacks and Michael Kratsios, co-chairs of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and FBI Director Kash Patel. The letter cited a report published last month by the Bitcoin Policy Institute, a think tank "dedicated to advancing sound Bitcoin policy," according to its website, which pegged the blame on what it described as a "campaign against American AI" on a triumvirate of Chinese state media, a network of left-leaning organizations funded by American tech entrepreneur Roy Singham, and "foreign billionaire dark money." Also cited in the letter was a report from Power the Future, a right-leaning energy industry advocacy group, which claimed that leftist "environmental activists" have been channeling money provided by ideologically motivated billionaires through nonprofits to stymy the growth of new data centers, "creating the false appearance of grassroots resistance while advancing a broader anti-growth, anti-Trump agenda." Republicans have generally adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards the expansion of domestic AI infrastructure, widely supported by the belief that a slowdown at home would advantage China. On Wednesday. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency would not step in to establish nationwide regulations around the spread of data centers, and that such decisions were better left to local governments. Increasingly power-needy tech companies have therefore been given ample leeway to build new data centers, sparking pushback from communities, environmental advocacy groups, and state lawmakers across the country. The new report from OpenAI -- one of the most well-known (and until very recently the most well-funded) AI labs in the world -- is a considerable boon for Republicans who are trying to blame anti-AI pushback at home on shadowy foreign actors. It's also a convenient narrative for tech developers themselves as they seek to expand power supplies in the face of mounting community opposition: If your opposition is rooted in a misinformation campaign intended to subvert American interests at home and abroad, then surely you have a right -- a patriotic duty, even -- to carry on full steam ahead... right? Foreign bogeymen There is, of course, a long history of state-backed hackers using new technology to sway American public opinion and undermine democratic institutions, such as elections. This is already being supercharged by AI, as OpenAI's new report makes clear. And as the company rightly points out, tech companies building AI and government agencies, therefore, need to be on their guard. But it would be at least as dangerous to let fears of ideological bogeymen eclipse the fact that communities across the country have real anxieties about the encroachments and energy demands of AI data centers. Nefarious hackers will almost certainly continue to exploit those concerns, but that doesn't delegitimize the concerns themselves.

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 posting AI-generated content about rising electricity costs. The company nicknamed the campaign "Data Center Bandwagon" and said the accounts were likely tied to a private Chinese technology firm working for provincial-level government clients. The posts had limited reach. The accounts used ChatGPT to create English-language social media posts and cartoon images depicting executives and robots carrying bags of money while "ordinary people" bear the costs of the AI industry. OpenAI also identified a second campaign, "Tech and Tariffs," creating content criticising Trump's tariffs and the US push for global tech dominance. "I want to be really clear here: This was not a case of an influence operation creating a debate," said Ben Nimmo, OpenAI's principal investigator on intelligence and investigations. "The debate existed already. This was an influence operation from China trying to interfere in it." The debate is very real. In 2025, local opposition blocked or delayed dozens of US data centre projects representing more than $150 billion in potential investment, according to Data Center Watch. Senator Bernie Sanders has called for moratoriums on new facilities. Communities are pushing back against strained power grids, soaring electricity bills, and water supply pressure. OpenAI said the campaign resembles earlier China-linked operations identified by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and Google's Mandiant against companies trying to reduce dependence on China in the rare earths industry. The company warned these themes "are likely to remain attractive" for Chinese influence operations because they can be "inserted into legitimate public debates while nudging audiences toward distrust of US institutions." Several Republican members of Congress sent a letter to the Trump administration this month raising alarms about alleged "foreign influence campaigns working to slow American AI progress." Some tech industry officials have also pushed this narrative. But independent researchers are more cautious. Darren Linvill, co-lead of Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub, told NPR his team has found little evidence of coordinated Chinese efforts. "We haven't found much," he said. The timing is convenient for OpenAI. The company is pushing aggressively for data centre construction to meet surging demand for its products and has argued that AI infrastructure is a matter of national competitiveness with China. Framing domestic opposition as partly foreign-driven serves that agenda, even if the influence campaign OpenAI identified was small and ineffective. The underlying tension is real regardless of who amplifies it. AI's energy demands are growing faster than grids can handle. Communities that host data centres are absorbing costs that benefit tech companies headquartered elsewhere. Whether a handful of Chinese social media accounts tried to exploit that grievance does not change the grievance itself.

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 influence campaigns surrounding the growing opposition to data centers and President Trump's tariffs on foreign imports. The two campaigns, named "Data Center Bandwagon" and "Tech and Tariffs", used ChatGPT to generate posts, comments and cartoons intended to sow political division in the US. China's intention was to deepen the divide by drumming up online engagement with AI generated posts, OpenAI said, but the campaigns failed to gain any traction. China exacerbates existing tensions The negative effects of data center construction and the additional costs imposed on consumers by tariffs are existing areas of contention within US society, but they weren't narratives invented by China. Instead, according to OpenAI, these campaigns were designed to increase the scale of the issues and broaden their visibility among online groups and on social media sites such as X. It is the first time that OpenAI models have been used in a Chinese foreign influence campaign, a spokesperson told Axios. OpenAI said that a Chinese government contractor was responsible for the data center campaign, which shared posts drawing on existing concerns surrounding power grid capacity and electricity prices in areas where data centers were planned or constructed. OpenAI's account of a foreign country using AI to capitalize on political issues adds some limited validity to recent Republican claims that the entire data center opposition movement being a Chinese influence campaign, but does little to address the very real, tangible effects that data center projects are having on local communities in the US. A group of Republicans recently called upon FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate anti-data center sentiment, alleging that the rising tide of opposition is being fueled by China, as the inclusion of similar phrasing around water usage, energy constraints, transparency surrounding approval, and utility bill use "language too similar to be coincidental". Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

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 political cartoons about U.S. tech policy. * One campaign, dubbed "Data Center Bandwagon," generated comments and comics claiming AI data centers were driving up electricity prices for American families. * A second operation, "Tech and Tariffs," used ChatGPT to create content and political cartoons criticizing Trump's tariffs and the U.S. push for global tech dominance. The big picture: Both campaigns latched onto already-heated debates. * A recent Harvard/MIT poll found 32% of Americans oppose data centers in their area, while 40% support them. * Seven in 10 Americans said in a Harris poll released in March that Trump's tariffs have caused them to pay higher prices. * "This was not a case of an influence operation creating a debate," Ben Nimmo, principal investigator on OpenAI's intelligence and investigations team, told reporters. "The debate existed already. This was an influence operation from China trying to interfere in it." Reality check: OpenAI said the campaigns failed to gain much online traction. * However, an OpenAI official told reporters that this appears to be the first time the company has seen a China-linked operation using its models to meddle in the AI data center debate. Zoom in: In the data center campaign, users OpenAI believes were linked to a Chinese government contractor asked ChatGPT to create comic strips about power grid capacity and electricity prices. * The images were later posted to X via likely inauthentic accounts, alongside links to legitimate news stories about data center power demand. * A separate group, which OpenAI could not directly attribute, used ChatGPT to create political cartoons of President Trump that criticized U.S. tech and tariff policies. * In one cartoon, Trump is depicted wearing American flag pants that say "America First" while holding a mallet with the words "Tech Dominance" on them and swinging it into a wall that reads "Global Future." The bottom line: OpenAI says the campaigns are an early sign of how foreign influence operators may use AI tools to scale content around U.S. political flashpoints.

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 ChatGPT to whip up anti-data-centre, anti-tariff, and anti-US sentiment online. OpenAI says it has "banned a cluster of ChatGPT accounts that likely originated in China and used ChatGPT to generate social media content for a covert influence operation." What were they up to? Well, generating a lot of bad AI political cartoons, for one thing. These users would -- writing in simplified Chinese, the standard form of the written language in mainland China -- ask ChatGPT to generate political cartoons that took aim at, for instance, spiking electricity costs caused by AI data centres and Donald Trump's vindictive behaviour toward notional American allies. The tech was also used to generate antisemitic memes about "Jewish capital" dictating American policy, and to besmirch Chinese dissidents. The relevant prompts "repeatedly used terminology consistent with individuals associated with China's public security system," says OpenAI. Cartoons, short phrases and rumours of an OpenAI data leak that never happened were then shared on social media like X and Facebook by networks of fake accounts. "It is ironic," says OpenAI, that the scheme "used American AI, rather than Chinese models, to generate their content about American AI. We are not in a position to determine what drove this choice". Now, before we get too ahead of ourselves, OpenAI is not actually claiming that the reason people don't like data centres is because they've fallen prey to Chinese influence operations. Indeed, the report states and restates that the efforts it claims to have uncovered achieved, well, basically nothing. "Using the Breakout Scale, we assess this activity as Category One: activity spanning one platform, with no evidence of breakout," writes OpenAI in its impact summary. OpenAI also admits that, well, a great deal of the material these efforts drew on was entirely legitimate reporting about the impact of data centres and the blowback from US tariffs. Which does raise the question: does any of this really matter? OpenAI certainly thinks it does. These attacks "attempted to connect US technology policies and industries to everyday economic anxieties and geopolitical instability," says the company, and show the potential for "influence operations originating from China" to be "inserted into legitimate public debates while nudging audiences toward distrust of US institutions, technology companies and democratic policy choices to help Beijing gain a strategic advantage in AI development". One might question whether American citizens protesting against data centre construction in their neighbourhoods feel that they were adequately democratically consulted on the whole thing, but that's OpenAI's line and it's sticking to it. It's also the case that, while OpenAI's report might say the impact of these campaigns was negligible, that's not what everyone says. Pro-data-centre politicians in the US are already seizing on a narrative that anti-AI sentiment is being driven by shadowy foreign interference, and reports like this one -- regardless of their actual conclusions -- will fuel that story. In a comment to Reuters, the Chinese Embassy in Washington said that it had not read OpenAI's report, but that "we firmly oppose any groundless attacks or smears against China." China, said the diplomats, wants to "ensure AI is a force for good and for all".

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 "likely originating" from China, one of which created social media comments and pictures alleging data center buildouts increased electricity prices for families in the US. The second cluster, according to OpenAI, also published negative comments and images stating tariffs are "attempts to dominate technological competition." These prompts also allegedly instructed the model to not include Chinese President Xi Jinping, but only President Trump. It also allegedly targeted OpenAI itself with allegations about compromised user data, the firm said, adding it was able to link multiple social media accounts to the cluster, and the ChatGPT accounts were banned. When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said they were not familiar with the specific allegations but "firmly oppose any groundless attacks or smears against China." The report from a leading AI lab comes as speculation swirls in Washington over how Chinese operators could be impacting America's ongoing debate over AI, and the massive data centers needed to power the technology's development. Various claims have surfaced in recent weeks about the alleged role of Chinese influence operators in broader backlash against data centers, which is being seen on federal, state and local levels. It is not clear the extent to which these operators could be acting. Millionaire investor Kevin O'Leary went viral last month for claiming foreign interference associated with the Chinese government is partly to blame for the backlash against American data centers. O'Leary said he saw a dramatic increase in social media messages about his Utah data center project last month, and when his team tracked the messages, some had the same IP addresses and suspected bot activity. At least one official with the Trump administration and other Republican lawmakers have echoed, or at least sought more information, on these recent claims. "Any place that's trying to build data centers is getting bombarded with foreign-directed propaganda to try to block these from being built," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox Business late last month. Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, along with John John Joyce (R-Md.) and Bob Latta (R-Ohio), sent a letter last week to the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the co-chairs of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), requesting information about evidence that "strongly suggests" foreign influence campaigns. "The fact that Chinese Communist Party-backed entities and other foreign adversaries may be attempting to influence decisions related to American data center infrastructure puts into perspective how serious of a fight we are in," the letter stated. The spokesperson for the Chinese embassy further told The Hill China believes in a people-centered approach to AI and advocates openness and inclusiveness to ensure AI is a force for good and for all," and touted the country's Global AI Governance Initiative.

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 Center Bandwagon" campaign, created social media content suggesting that AI data center buildouts were causing electricity prices to rise for average families. The second cluster, dubbed "Tech and Tariffs," produced comments and images portraying U.S. tariffs as efforts to gain an edge in technological competition. The campaign was tied to a network of suspected inauthentic social media accounts that falsely claimed ChatGPT user data had been breached. A separate group of users linked to a Chinese technology company with government ties allegedly sought to influence U.S. discussions on AI and data centers, as several states weigh potential restrictions on new data center development. OpenAI also stated that it banned a group of Chinese-speaking users who leveraged ChatGPT to create slogans and cartoons critiquing Trump's trade and tech policy. These were later posted to various platforms. The same group also generated Chinese, Italian, and Japanese content for use in the comment sections of respective language articles. China's AI Espionage Threat Grows Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Image via Shutterstock Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.