OpenAI has uncovered and banned ChatGPT accounts linked to Russian and Iranian influence operations that planted fake stories in legitimate news outlets. The investigation revealed that both operations used fabricated identities to insert content into traditional media rather than relying solely on social media campaigns.
The Russian operation, designated "Dark Clark," disseminated disinformation across Latin America to discredit Ukraine and impact local politics. Operating through a fictitious persona to control a think tank, the actors used fabricated audio files and documents that prompted official denials and fact-checks in Ecuador and Peru. OpenAI rated this campaign category 5 out of 6 on the Breakout Scale because politicians reacted directly to the manufactured content.
Concurrently, the Iranian operation, called "Bogus Bylines," deployed seven fake journalists to place nearly 100 articles regarding the US-Iran conflict in online outlets worldwide. Both the Russian and Iranian actors primarily utilized artificial intelligence for internal reporting tasks and translating propaganda into multiple languages.
This enforcement action highlights ongoing threats of foreign state-sponsored disinformation campaigns utilizing AI tools for content generation and multilingual adaptation.