OpenAI has identified two clusters of ChatGPT accounts, reportedly originating from China, that used its models to support covert influence operations aimed at manipulating public debate around American AI and broader technology policy. The disclosure marks one of the most direct accusations by a major AI company of state-linked actors exploiting generative AI tools for disinformation campaigns.

The Two Influence Campaigns

The first cluster, which OpenAI labelled the 'Data Center Bandwagon' campaign, generated social media comments and images advancing the narrative that data centre construction for AI was driving up electricity costs for ordinary American families. The content appeared designed to stoke grassroots resentment against AI infrastructure investment.

The second cluster, named the 'Tech and Tariffs' campaign, produced content framing US tariffs as an attempt to dominate global technological competition. Notably, the operators explicitly instructed in their prompts that the generated content should exclude references to Chinese President Xi Jinping and focus instead on US President Donald Trump — a deliberate effort to obscure the campaign's origins.

False Claims Targeting OpenAI Itself

According to OpenAI, the 'Tech and Tariffs' cluster was also connected to a network of likely inauthentic social media accounts that targeted the company directly. These accounts falsely alleged that ChatGPT user data had been compromised. OpenAI stated categorically that 'these allegations were entirely false.'

Why the Operations Are Significant

OpenAI acknowledged that neither campaign appears to have succeeded in meaningfully shifting public opinion. The company found 'no evidence of meaningful breakout beyond its own activity.' However, it stressed that the significance lies elsewhere: the operations demonstrate that PRC-origin influence actors are actively testing narratives against AI infrastructure — which OpenAI described as a foundation of US technological leadership, economic growth, and the broader democratic AI ecosystem.

This comes amid growing international scrutiny of state-linked information operations that leverage commercial AI platforms. The attempt to 'covertly insert themselves into an ongoing American debate about the future of the country's AI capabilities while hiding who they were and what motivated them,' as OpenAI put it, reflects a broader pattern of foreign actors exploiting legitimate domestic policy fault lines.

OpenAI's Broader Commitment

The company stated it aims to work with industry, governments, civil society, and the public to identify and disrupt attempts by foreign threat actors to manipulate public debate, weaken democratic institutions, and advance what it described as 'totalitarianism with AI characteristics' — the use of AI for surveillance, censorship, and control over political, social, and private life. The disclosure is part of OpenAI's ongoing effort to build transparency around misuse of its platforms.