OpenAI blocks Iran- and Russia-linked influence campaigns using its AI tools
OpenAI said it removed accounts linked to separate Iranian and Russian influence campaigns that used its AI tools to spread false stories and operate a fake think tank. The Russian effort, which OpenAI called Dark Clark, reached the largest audience the company has seen for such an operation and sought to inflame Ukraine-Poland tensions and weaken Ukrainian military recruitment. The Iranian campaign, called Bogus Bylines, created fake American journalist identities to place articles with smaller outlets.
OpenAI said it removed accounts tied to two influence efforts. The Russian campaign, Dark Clark, used a fake research body, the Social Research Center, to recruit Latin Americans unwittingly. It made fabricated documents and audio, including material aimed at discouraging Ukrainian military enlistment and heightening Poland-Ukraine tensions. OpenAI called its reach the largest it has recorded for such activity.
The Iranian campaign, Bogus Bylines, created seven fake American journalist identities and pitched articles to smaller outlets. Operators used VPNs to hide locations, though transparency data pointed to Iran. They posted about the U.S.-Iran conflict in English and Persian. Both efforts used AI for internal reports and exaggerated their effectiveness.
These disclosures may heighten concerns that widely available AI tools can make covert propaganda cheaper and harder to trace. Audiences in Ukraine, Poland, Latin America, the U.S. and Iran could encounter fabricated stories or comments without knowing their origin. Smaller newsrooms may face added scrutiny if they unknowingly publish planted articles. The episode could also increase pressure on AI companies, platforms and policymakers to improve detection, transparency and safeguards, though voluntary measures may prove difficult to verify.