OpenAI Bans Russian ChatGPT Accounts Used to Run Influence Operation
Summary: OpenAI banned a cluster of Russian ChatGPT accounts that used VPNs to bypass access restrictions and generate social media posts and comments promoting the International Burke Institute, a self-described expert community based in Israel, across Substack, Telegram, X, Facebook and LinkedIn. The campaign reached relatively small audiences, with Telegram channels amassing about 10-20,000 followers each, and centered on a website registered in February 2025 that hosted copied and misattributed academic work and a Sovereignty Index that ranked the U.S. first at 650.9 and Russia fourth at 601.4.
Bottom line: OpenAI said the operation's significance lies less in its audience than in the infrastructure it built: a credible-appearing institution with purported experts, republished academic work and a proprietary risk index, which influence actors could scale over time. The same AI use that produced isolated promotional posts is what led investigators to the broader operation.
Read the original at The Hacker News ↗
- Topics
- AI Security
- Related
- SECURITY AFFAIRS AI-CYBERSECURITY NEWSLETTER ROUND 8 Cyber Risks · Nov 15, 2026Pentagon Renames CDAO ‘Super Intelligence Office’ Cyber Risks · Nov 15, 2026186 Fake AI Domains Redirect Users to Click Fix Lures, Browser Malware, and Search Hijackers Cyber Risks · Nov 12, 2026