Russia used ChatGPT to run a covert influence campaign pushing pro-Kremlin narratives across the West
OpenAI shut down a Russian influence operation using ChatGPT to generate disinformation at scale—a preview of how AI tools amplify state-level information warfare.
Why it matters
AI-as-infrastructure for geopolitical influence campaigns is becoming real. Practitioners need to understand how their tools are weaponized; policymakers and platforms face pressure to detect and disrupt these operations before they scale.
The key facts
11 to knowOpenAI disrupted Russian accounts accessing ChatGPT via VPN from Russia
Campaign promoted fictitious 'International Burke Institute' with German-language Telegram content critical of EU and German government
Reach remained small but OpenAI warned infrastructure could scale over time
Uses ChatGPT for generating social media posts at scale
Highlights state-sponsored disinformation and information warfare as emerging AI use case
OpenAI banned cluster of accounts running covert Russian influence campaign
Operators accessed ChatGPT via VPNs from Russia
Campaign promoted fictitious 'International Burke Institute'
German-language Telegram content critical of EU and German government
Campaign reach was small but infrastructure was scalable
OpenAI warns of potential for scaling over time
Go to the source
The Decoderthe-decoder.com
Publisher excerpt: OpenAI has disrupted a covert Russian influence campaign that used ChatGPT to generate social media posts by banning a cluster of accounts. The operators accessed the platform through VPNs from Russia and promoted the fictitious "International Burke Institute," including German-language Telegram…