Operation “STORM-2035”: Iran-origin influence activity
OpenAI disrupted an Iran-backed influence operation using AI to generate election disinformation across US and UK platforms.
Why it matters
AI is becoming a tool for state-sponsored information warfare. This is the first documented large-scale case of foreign actors weaponizing generative AI for election interference — a real-world test of AI safety, moderation, and the industry's ability to detect and stop malicious scale.
The key facts
13 to knowOperation name: STORM-2035
Origin: Iran-backed accounts
Target: US and UK election content generation and distribution
Action: OpenAI banned accounts and published disruption report
Date: October 1, 2024
Context: First documented case of state-sponsored AI-generated disinformation at scale
Implication: Tests AI safety infrastructure and platform moderation capabilities
Iran-origin operation codenamed STORM-2035
Used AI to generate US and UK election content
Content distributed across multiple sites
OpenAI detected and banned accounts
First documented large-scale state-sponsored AI disinformation campaign
October 2024 disclosure date
Go to the source
OpenAI Blogopenai.com
Publisher excerpt: OpenAI banned Iran-origin STORM-2035 accounts using AI to generate US and UK election content and publish it across sites.