X and OpenAI Uncover China-Linked AI Influence Operation

Social media platform X and AI research company OpenAI have uncovered a China-linked influence operation using bot farms and artificial intelligence to stoke opposition to AI data centers in the United States. X identified a network of approximately 200,000 accounts, including 200 specifically tasked with manipulating debates on American AI and energy policy by claiming data centers strain the power grid and increase household electricity prices.

OpenAI researchers detected similar activity involving ChatGPT to generate critical narratives and images, following a June report that flagged anti-AI posts likely originating from China. The research firm Graphika linked 119 inauthentic accounts to Spamouflage, a Chinese state-affiliated operation. While some Republican lawmakers argue these operations aim to hinder U.S. AI infrastructure, other reports suggest the bot narratives align with genuine local concerns regarding environmental impacts and rising costs.

Critics have questioned the timing of X's report and the lack of audience data, noting that owner Elon Musk has a vested interest in the expansion of data centers for his business ventures. Despite the scale of the bot farm, OpenAI principal investigator Ben Nimmo noted that neither campaign appears to have gained much authentic engagement.