tech
OpenAI says a suspected China-linked influence operation tried to sway the debate about US data centers
OpenAI said the effort "sought to exploit and amplify existing public concerns about energy prices and local impacts of data center development."
TL;DR
- OpenAI banned likely China-based users for using ChatGPT in a suspected influence operation about US data centers.
- The operation, dubbed 'Data Center Bandwagon' Campaign, aimed to manipulate domestic debates on data centers by using fake accounts.
- Users prompted ChatGPT in Simplified Chinese and requested English and Chinese outputs, needing VPNs as ChatGPT is not available in China.
- A second suspected operation, 'Tech and Tariffs' Campaign, used ChatGPT to generate content criticizing US tech policies and tariffs.
- This second campaign produced AI-generated cartoon images of Donald Trump and occurred around the time of his tariff announcements.
- OpenAI was unable to link the second campaign to a specific entity in China but noted users excluded Xi Jinping from cartoon requests.