AI-Driven Influence Operations Disrupted by OpenAI

• •OpenAI disrupted Russian and Iranian AI-driven influence operations.
• •The Russian operation targeted Latin America, spreading propaganda against Ukraine.
• •Fake journalist personas were created to publish misleading articles in legitimate media.

OpenAI disclosed the shutdown of two influence operations linked to Russia and Iran that utilized AI tools, including ChatGPT, to create fake journalist personas and covert think tanks. The Russian operation, named 'Dark Clark', targeted Latin American politics, particularly aiming to undermine Ukraine's reputation while posing as a legitimate think tank. The Iranian campaign similarly employed AI to fabricate narratives about the U.S.-Iran conflict, using multiple fake journalist identities to publish articles in mainstream media. OpenAI's findings indicate that these operations were sophisticated, with evidence suggesting that local employees were unaware of their affiliations with foreign actors. The efforts highlight the growing use of AI in state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, raising concerns about the integrity of information in global media. OpenAI has not attributed these activities to specific government agencies but noted the complexity of the operations involved.