OpenAI claims China keeps using ChatGPT for misinformation operations against rest of the world
OpenAI has raised concerns over the growing misuse of its AI tools, especially ChatGPT, by groups linked to the Chinese government for spreading misinformation and conducting covert influence operations around the world. In a report released on Thursday, the company said it had disrupted multiple such activities over the past three months, banning accounts involved in these efforts.'We're seeing a wider variety of covert operations coming out of China, using increasingly diverse tactics,' said Ben Nimmo, lead investigator on OpenAI's intelligence team. The company found four separate campaigns that were likely backed by Chinese groups, each with distinct goals but all using AI in ways that violated OpenAI's usage policies.advertisementOne such campaign, nicknamed Sneer Review, reportedly used ChatGPT to post short comments and generate fake discussions on platforms like TikTok, X, Reddit, and Facebook. The topics apparently ranged from criticism of a Taiwan-based video game to mixed opinions on the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). What made the effort stand out was its attempt to simulate organic online conversations by generating both initial posts and follow-up comments, creating a false sense of engagement.In another case, OpenAI found that ChatGPT had been used to write performance reviews of the influence operation itself -- essentially internal documents outlining how the campaign was conducted. 'The behaviours we saw online closely matched the processes described in these reports,' the company said.
The AI was also used to generate comments about US political matters, including criticism of US President Donald Trump's trade tariffs.advertisementOther operations involved using ChatGPT to assist with cyber activities, such as modifying scripts, configuring systems, and building tools for brute-forcing passwords. OpenAI also discovered attempts to use the AI model for intelligence gathering, where fake accounts posed as journalists or analysts to interact with real users and collect information. In one instance, AI-generated content was used in communication related to a US Senator's correspondence, although OpenAI couldn't confirm whether it was actually sent.Since ChatGPT's launch in late 2022, concerns have mounted over the potential for generative AI to aid misinformation. OpenAI is currently one of the most valuable private tech companies globally, and has recently secured funding that valued the firm at $300 billion.
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