OpenAI uncovers Russian and Iranian influence ops that planted fake stories in real news outlets
OpenAI banned ChatGPT accounts used by Russian and Iranian operators to plant fake stories in real outlets.
OpenAI said it banned ChatGPT accounts tied to a Russian operation called Dark Clark and an Iranian operation called Bogus Bylines, both of which planted content in legitimate media instead of running social-media campaigns. Dark Clark spread disinformation across Latin America to discredit Ukraine; fabricated audio and documents prompted fact-checks and official denials in Ecuador and Peru, and OpenAI rated it category 5 of 6 on the Breakout Scale, its first such rating in two and a half years. Bogus Bylines used seven fake journalist personas to place nearly 100 articles about the US-Iran conflict, while generated social comments gained almost no traction. Both groups mainly used AI for internal reporting and adapting propaganda into other languages.
- Dark Clark spread Ukraine-related disinformation across Latin America, including Ecuador and Peru.
- OpenAI rated Dark Clark category 5 of 6 on the Breakout Scale after politicians reacted.
- Bogus Bylines used seven fake journalists to place nearly 100 articles in real outlets.
- Both operations mainly used AI for internal reporting and multilingual propaganda adaptation.
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OpenAI exposed a Russian and an Iranian influence operation and banned the ChatGPT accounts involved. Both used fake identities to plant content in legitimate media rather than running social media campaigns, according to the company's investigation report. OpenAI had previously uncovered a different Russian campaign built on social media and a fake think tank.
The Russian operation, "Dark Clark," spread disinformation across Latin America to discredit Ukraine and destabilize local politics. The actors controlled a think tank through a fictitious persona and likely roped in local staffers without their knowledge. Fabricated audio files and documents triggered fact-checks and official denials in Ecuador and Peru. OpenAI rates it category 5 out of 6 on the Breakout Scale because politicians reacted to the content, making it the first category 5 case in two and a half years of reporting.
The Iranian operation, "Bogus Bylines," used seven fake journalists to place nearly 100 articles about the US-Iran conflict in online outlets worldwide. The actors also generated social media comments, though those gained almost no traction. Both operations used AI mainly for internal reporting and to adapt propaganda to different languages.
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