OpenAI Bans China-Linked Accounts for U.S. Influence Operations

OpenAI banned several clusters of ChatGPT accounts linked to Chinese operatives who used the AI to conduct covert influence operations targeting the United States from late 2025 into early 2026. The company identified two primary campaigns: the Data Center Bandwagon, which amplified concerns that AI data centers increase household electricity costs, and Tech and Tariffs, which criticized U.S. technological dominance and trade policies.

The operations used VPNs to bypass Chinese restrictions and prompted the AI in Simplified Chinese to generate English-language comments, images, and comic strips. The Tech and Tariffs campaign specifically targeted President Donald Trump while intentionally excluding mentions of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Some accounts also spread false claims that OpenAI user data had been compromised and harassed Chinese dissidents.

OpenAI reported that the campaigns failed to achieve significant authentic engagement or shift public opinion. The company linked the activity to a Chinese technology firm working for provincial-level government clients to promote priorities of the Communist Party of China. The Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the report, describing the allegations as groundless attacks.