Robert Way
OpenAI said Friday that it had removed ChatGPT accounts linked to an Iranian influence campaign that created and shared content focused on the U.S. presidential election and other topics.
The operation, dubbed Storm-2035, used ChatGPT to generate content on the following topics: as a commentary on the candidates from both sides in the US presidential election, the conflict in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s presence at the Olympic Games and the rights of Latinx communities in the US
According to OpenAI, the influencer campaign used its chatbot to write longer articles and shorter social media comments.
The articles were published on five websites posing as both progressive and conservative news outlets. The short commentaries, written in both English and Spanish, were posted on X and Instagram (META).
However, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) pointed out that the campaign had not led to any significant audience involvement.
OpenAI added that most of the social media posts it identified received few or no likes, shares or comments. The company also found no evidence that the web articles were shared on social media.
The company said it had banned the accounts from using its service and would continue to monitor for further attempts to violate its policies, adding that it had shared the “threat intelligence with government, campaign and industry representatives.”
In early August, Microsoft (MSFT) released a report detailing Iran’s efforts to influence the U.S. election. The report said that the Iranian network Storm-2035, which consists of four websites disguised as news agencies, is actively targeting U.S. voting groups at opposite ends of the political spectrum by spreading “polarizing messages on issues such as the U.S. presidential candidates, LGBTQ rights, and the Israel-Hamas conflict.”
Last week, Republican candidate Donald Trump said one of his campaign websites had been hacked by the Iranian government.
