OpenAI Uncovers Global AI Misuse in Cyber Operations and Influence Campaigns
12 Sources
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How global threat actors are weaponizing AI now, according to OpenAI
The company's new report outlines the latest examples of AI misuse and abuse originating from China and elsewhere. As generative AI has spread in recent years, so too have fears over the technology's misuse and abuse. Tools like ChatGPT can produce realistic text, images, video, and speech. The
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ChatGPT for evil: Fake IT resumes, misinfo, and more
Fake IT workers possibly linked to North Korea, Beijing-backed cyber operatives, and Russian malware slingers are among the baddies using ChatGPT for evil, according to OpenAI's latest threat report. The AI giant said it quashed 10 operations using its chatbot to conduct social engineering and
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OpenAI finds more Chinese groups using ChatGPT for malicious purposes
SAN FRANCISCO, June 5 (Reuters) - OpenAI is seeing an increasing number of Chinese groups using its artificial intelligence technology for covert operations, which the ChatGPT maker described in a report released Thursday. While the scope and tactics employed by these groups have expanded, the
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OpenAI Bans ChatGPT Accounts Used by Russian, Iranian and Chinese Hacker Groups
OpenAI has revealed that it banned a set of ChatGPT accounts that were likely operated by Russian-speaking threat actors and two Chinese nation-state hacking groups to assist with malware development, social media automation, and research about U.S. satellite communications technologies, among
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Foreign propagandists continue using ChatGPT in influence campaigns
OpenAI claims it has disrupted operations across China, Russia and Iran. Chinese propaganda and social engineering operations to create posts, comments and drive engagement at home and abroad. OpenAI said it has recently disrupted four Chinese covert influence operations that were using its tool
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China covertly using ChatGPT for propaganda posts on social media
OpenAI has found evidence of China covertly using ChatGPT to create propaganda posts on social media, and to conduct digital surveillance. Reddit, TikTok, Facebook, and X were among the platforms targeted ... The AI company says it has blocked ten of these operations, four of which "likely
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OpenAI takes down covert operations tied to China and other countries
Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a conference in San Francisco this week. The company said it has recently taken down 10 influence operations that were using its generative artificial intelligence tools. Four of those operations were likely run by the Chinese government. Justin Sullivan/Getty
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OpenAI says it disrupted at least 10 malicious AI campaigns already this year
Russia, China, and Iran are using ChatGPT to translate and generate content OpenAI has revealed it has taken down a number of malicious campaigns using its AI offerings, including ChatGPT. In a report titled, "Disrupting malicious uses of AI: June 2025," OpenAI lays out how it dismantled or
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OpenAI Finds More Chinese Groups Using ChatGPT for Malicious Purposes
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -OpenAI is seeing an increasing number of Chinese groups using its artificial intelligence technology for covert operations, which the ChatGPT maker described in a report released Thursday. While the scope and tactics employed by these groups have expanded, the operations
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OpenAI finds more Chinese groups using ChatGPT for malicious purposes
The release of ChatGPT in 2022 has since raised concerns about the potential consequences of generative AI technology, which can quickly and easily produce human-like text, imagery and audio. In a report on Thursday, the artificial intelligence company said that Chinese groups are using its
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OpenAI Reveals China Covertly Used ChatGPT To Spread Propaganda, Manipulate Social Media Engagement, And Target Journalists And Politicians In A Coordinated AI-Powered Influence Campaign
OpenAI revolutionized AI and how the technology is used by introducing ChatGPT. The company has come far, with its services being integrated and used in varied domains, from the healthcare sector to the education sector, the chatbot has been put to good use. But it seems that many are misusing the
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OpenAI finds more Chinese groups using ChatGPT for malicious purposes
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -OpenAI is seeing an increasing number of Chinese groups using its artificial intelligence technology for covert operations, which the ChatGPT maker described in a report released Thursday. While the scope and tactics employed by these groups have expanded, the operations
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OpenAI's latest threat report reveals how state-backed actors and cybercriminals from China, Russia, and other countries are exploiting AI tools like ChatGPT for malicious purposes, including cyber espionage, malware development, and disinformation campaigns.
OpenAI Uncovers Widespread AI Misuse in Global Cyber Operations
OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence company, has released its latest threat intelligence report, revealing an alarming trend of AI misuse by state-backed actors and cybercriminals worldwide. The report details how tools like ChatGPT are being exploited for various malicious purposes, including cyber espionage, malware development, and disinformation campaigns
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Source: ET
Chinese Operations Dominate AI Misuse Landscape
The report identified ten significant abuse cases over the past year, with four originating from China. These operations ranged from generating social media posts in multiple languages to create an illusion of authentic engagement on politically charged topics, to more sophisticated cyber activities
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.One notable Chinese operation involved using ChatGPT to engage in nefarious cyber activities, such as password "bruteforcing" and researching publicly available records on the US military and defense industry
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. Another operation generated polarized social media content supporting both sides of divisive topics within US political discourse, complete with AI-generated profile images3
.Russian and Other State Actors' AI Exploitation
The report also highlighted AI misuse by actors from Russia, Iran, and other countries. A Russian-speaking individual was found using ChatGPT to develop Windows malware dubbed "ScopeCreep" and set up command-and-control infrastructure
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. This malware, distributed via a spoofed video game tool repository, was designed to escalate privileges, harvest browser-stored credentials, and exfiltrate sensitive data2
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Source: ZDNet
Sophisticated Tactics and Operational Security
The threat actors demonstrated sophisticated tactics and a focus on operational security. For instance, the Russian-speaking actor used temporary email accounts to create multiple ChatGPT accounts, each used for a single conversation to make incremental improvements to their malicious software
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.AI-Assisted Malware Development
The ScopeCreep malware, developed with ChatGPT's assistance, incorporated various evasion techniques, including Base64-encoding for payload obfuscation, DLL side-loading, and the use of SOCKS5 proxies to conceal source IP addresses
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.Related Stories
Influence Campaigns and Social Engineering
Chinese groups were found using ChatGPT to generate social media posts and replies on platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Reddit, and X. These posts covered a wide range of topics, from US politics to criticism of a Taiwan-centric video game, often supporting opposing viewpoints to stir up misleading political discourse
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Source: Wccftech
OpenAI's Response and Ongoing Challenges
OpenAI has taken steps to disrupt these operations by banning associated ChatGPT accounts. However, the company acknowledges that AI investigations are an evolving discipline, and each disrupted operation provides insights into how threat actors are attempting to abuse AI models
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.As generative AI becomes more accessible and affordable, there are concerns that influence campaigns and cyber operations could become easier and more cost-effective to execute, even if their efficacy remains unchanged
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. This underscores the ongoing challenge of balancing AI's potential benefits with the need for robust security measures and ethical guidelines in its development and deployment.References
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