A Florida local newspaper ran an op-ed. It was an Iranian AI fake.

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1. 1h ago

   Iranian AI Campaign Plants Fake Op-Eds in US Newspapers

   Iranian operatives used artificial intelligence to plant nearly 100 fake articles and opinion pieces in Western media outlets, including a small Florida weekly newspaper. OpenAI revealed that users interacting with ChatGPT in Persian generated seven fictitious journalist personas to push anti-American narratives concerning the United States war against Iran. The operation succeeded in laundering geopolitical messaging into target audiences by bypassing publisher authentication and editorial verification at smaller publications.

   Why it matters

   The infiltration highlights vulnerabilities in digital editorial standards across regional newsrooms. Commercial for-hire entities leveraged chatbot technology to create non-existent writers who criticized American military actions and framed foreign conflicts. This activity forms part of a broader trend of foreign actors deploying automated influence operations to target domestic American audiences.

   What is confirmed

   • Iranian operatives used ChatGPT to plant nearly 100 articles in Western news outlets under fake bylines.
   • An opinion piece warning of the Iran war ran in the Port St. Joe Star under a fictitious persona.
   • OpenAI reported that Ervin Hoskins was among seven bylines used on the AI-generated articles.
   • Users sent instructions to the chatbot in Persian to run the for-hire influence campaign.

   What to watch next

   • Additional disclosures from artificial intelligence companies regarding foreign influence networks
   • Responses from regional media associations concerning verification standards for freelance contributions
   Sources used for this update (18)

   1. CNN — Iranian operatives used AI to plant fake stories in multiple US media outlets
   2. NPR — OpenAI caught Russians and Iranians using ChatGPT for influence campaigns
   3. The Hill — OpenAI users in Russia, Iran used models to push political agenda online, in media
   4. OpenAI — Disrupting AI-enabled “false front” operations
   5. The New York Times — Opinion | A.I. Is Lying to You. Here’s How to Fight Back.
   6. The Washington Post — Iranian campaign planted fake articles in real U.S. publications using ChatGPT
   7. NewsNation — Experts warn AI ‘cognitive hacking’ is targeting Americans
   8. www.ynetnews.com — Iran used ChatGPT and fake bylines to infiltrate Western news sites, OpenAI finds
   9. omaha.com — Pope Leo had lobe of lung removed as doctors found cancer
   10. omaha.com — Happy ending for arctic fox confiscated in Omaha isn't the usual tale
   11. www.yahoo.com — A Florida local newspaper ran an op-ed. It was an Iranian AI ...
   12. www.theverge.com — OpenAI disrupted an Iranian influence campaign that published ...
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