OpenAI Blocks Iranian Campaign: Unveiling Online Political Influence | OpenAI stock | ChatGPT 4 | OpenAI ChatGPT | Turtles AI

Highlights

• Identification and blocking of ChatGPT accounts linked to an Iranian campaign.
• Content production on topics like the U.S. elections, Israel, and Venezuelan politics.
• Limited impact on social media, with low public interaction.
• Previous online influence attempts disrupted by OpenAI and Meta.

OpenAI has discovered and blocked a series of ChatGPT accounts linked to an Iranian influence campaign. These accounts generated content on topics such as the U.S. presidential election, the Israel-Hamas war, and Venezuelan politics. The operation did not achieve significant audience engagement.

OpenAI recently identified and shut down several accounts connected to an Iranian influence campaign known as Storm-2035. This operation aimed to spread content across various social platforms, with a particular focus on the U.S. presidential election and other politically sensitive topics. The accounts used ChatGPT to produce detailed articles and comments on social media platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). The campaign presented itself as a series of websites disguised as political news portals, aiming to influence public opinion in the United States.

In addition to focusing on the U.S. elections, the campaign generated content related to the Israel-Hamas war, Israel’s presence at the Olympic Games, Venezuela’s internal politics, and the rights of Latinx communities in the U.S. What sets this operation apart is its ability to cover both sides of the political spectrum in the U.S., attempting to further polarize public debate.

OpenAI’s investigation revealed that despite the broad scope of the generated content, the campaign did not achieve significant audience engagement. Most of the social media posts tracked received few or no likes, shares, or comments, suggesting a limited impact on public opinion.

This is not the first time online influence campaigns have been disrupted. Back in May, OpenAI and Meta announced they had blocked a campaign that used AI to post pro-Israel messages on Instagram and Facebook. With the U.S. presidential election approaching, further interference attempts are likely. In a recent case, former President Donald Trump confirmed that his campaign was hacked, allegedly orchestrated by an Iranian hacking group. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened an investigation into this attack and alleged hacking attempts on the Biden-Harris campaign.