OpenAI Report Flags Chinese AI-Assisted Influence Campaigns
Chinese propagandists attempted to use artificial intelligence tools to influence debates in the United States on trade policy, data centres and AI development, according to a report published by OpenAI. The company said the campaigns sought to shape public opinion on issues including tariffs introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump, but appeared to achieve little measurable impact.
The findings highlight the growing role of generative AI in online influence operations and demonstrate how advanced AI systems are increasingly being used to create political content, imagery and social media messaging.
AI Used To Criticise US Trade And Technology Policies
OpenAI said it identified a group of Chinese-speaking users who used ChatGPT to generate slogans, political messaging and cartoon concepts critical of Trump’s trade and technology policies.
According to the report, some of the AI-generated cartoons were later shared on social media platform X. The images depicted Trump engaging in actions portrayed as harmful to global interests, including striking a wall labelled “Global Future” with a hammer and cutting apart a ladder on which he was standing.
The same network reportedly used ChatGPT to create Chinese-language comments for online discussion forums as well as content in Italian and Japanese, indicating an effort to distribute messaging across multiple audiences and regions.
Focus On Data Centre And AI Debates
OpenAI also identified another group that it linked to a Chinese technology company involved in government-related work. While the company did not disclose the organisation’s identity, it said the group attempted to influence discussions surrounding artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centre development in the United States.
The issue has become increasingly contentious as states debate restrictions on new data centre construction due to concerns about electricity consumption, environmental impact and land use.
According to OpenAI, some AI-generated cartoons portrayed data centre operators as profit-driven companies whose growing energy demands negatively affected ordinary citizens.
Ben Nimmo, a principal investigator at OpenAI, said the campaign appeared designed to influence a genuine policy debate surrounding artificial intelligence and broader technology issues in the United States.
He noted the irony of actors attempting to use American-developed AI tools to criticise American AI policies and technology expansion.
Limited Impact But Growing Trend
Despite the sophistication of the content, OpenAI said the influence operations appeared to have generated little or no significant engagement.
However, the company warned that the case demonstrates how generative AI is becoming an increasingly common feature of digital influence campaigns. AI tools can rapidly produce images, text and multimedia content at scale, lowering the cost and effort required to conduct online propaganda operations.
The report follows broader concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in information campaigns. Recent reports have also highlighted the emergence of content farms using AI-generated imagery to create and distribute political memes, including material opposing the expansion of data centres.
Rising Importance Of AI In Information Operations
The findings underscore how generative AI is reshaping the information landscape. While traditional influence campaigns often required substantial resources to produce content, AI systems now enable users to generate persuasive text, graphics and social media posts within seconds.
As governments, technology companies and regulators grapple with the implications of AI-generated content, the challenge of detecting and limiting coordinated influence operations is likely to remain a key issue for policymakers and platform operators worldwide.
With inputs from Reuters