ChatGPT’s parent company, OpenAI, has suspended numerous Iran-linked accounts for spreading false information, particularly about the US presidential election, as Trump’s campaign accuses Iran of hacking its computer systems.
OpenAI recently announced that it had identified and blocked several accounts belonging to the Iranian influence operation Storm-2035. These accounts used ChatGPT to produce and spread false information about the US election, the Gaza conflict and Israel’s participation in the Olympics.
The company found that these accounts wrote both long-form articles and short social media posts, but most of the content generated minimal engagement. OpenAI rated this operation as a low-level threat according to the Brookings Breakout Scale, which estimates the impact of clandestine influence operations.
OpenAI’s research found that the operation targeted both liberal and Republican voters. Some accounts even copied comments from real users to make their activities seem more authentic. However, the effectiveness of the disinformation campaign was not very great.
This crackdown is a testament to OpenAI’s commitment to AI security and ethics. The company is stepping up its efforts to detect and curb foreign interference in the political process and is using AI algorithms to identify threats. The timing of this announcement is rather odd, coming just a week after claims that the Trump campaign had been attacked by Iranian hackers.
OpenAI’s decisive action against Iran-linked accounts demonstrates the company’s commitment to protecting information integrity. By blocking these accounts, the company underscores the need for vigilance in the face of foreign interference in critical political processes.
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