politics
China-linked operatives used ChatGPT to shape AI data centers and tariff debates
The campaigns show how pro-China actors are testing AI tools.
TL;DR
- OpenAI banned China-linked accounts for using ChatGPT in influence campaigns.
- The campaigns targeted U.S. debates on tariffs and AI data centers.
- Operations generated posts, comments, and political cartoons.
- One campaign focused on AI data centers driving up electricity prices.
- Another targeted U.S. tech policy, criticizing Trump's tariffs.
- OpenAI stated the campaigns did not appear to be effective.
- This marks a potential first instance of China-linked operations using AI models for the AI data center debate.
- The campaigns are seen as an early sign of foreign influence operators potentially scaling content around U.S. political flashpoints using AI.