OpenAI bans Russian ChatGPT accounts used in covert misinformation campaign

Live updates

1. 20d ago

   OpenAI bans Russian accounts used in fake Israeli think tank operation

   OpenAI terminated multiple Russian ChatGPT accounts used to run a covert influence campaign. The operators created the International Burke Institute, a fake Israeli think tank, to publish plagiarized academic papers and a sovereignty index favoring Russia. Rather than using the AI to write original articles, the network used ChatGPT to remove linguistic markers that would identify the authors as Russian speakers. The operation used VPNs to push pro-Kremlin narratives and coordinated social media posts to manufacture fake academic expertise.

   Why it matters

   This operation demonstrates how state actors use AI to build cognitive warfare infrastructure. By masquerading as established academic entities, the network attempted to manipulate international public opinion through perceived authority.

   What is confirmed

   • OpenAI banned Russian ChatGPT accounts linked to a covert influence campaign.
   • The operation promoted a fake Israeli think tank called the International Burke Institute.
   • The network published plagiarized scholarship and a sovereignty index to spread pro-Russian narratives.
   • The actors used coordinated social media posts to promote their content.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Russia's AI influence playbook has reached Italy.
   • OpenAI identified the issue while analyzing AI-generated social media posts.

   What to watch next

   • Evidence of similar fake think tanks in other regions
   • Official attribution from government intelligence agencies
   • Further technical details on the VPNs used to bypass OpenAI filters
   Sources used for this update (9)

   1. Decode39 — Russia’s AI influence playbook reaches Italy
   2. The Hacker News — OpenAI Bans Russian ChatGPT Accounts Used to Run Influence Operation
   3. UNITED24 Media — How Moscow Turned AI Into a Ghostwriting Machine for Global Influence
   4. www.techrepublic.com — OpenAI Bans Russian ChatGPT Accounts Used in Covert Influence Campaign
   5. decrypt.co — Russian Influence Network Used ChatGPT to Masquerade as Academic Experts
   6. tech.yahoo.com — OpenAI bans Russian ChatGPT accounts posing as a fake Israeli think tank — used VPNs to push pro-Kremlin narratives and steal academic papers for its website
   7. tech.yahoo.com — OpenAI Uncovers a Covert Russian Influence Machine Using ChatGPT to Build Fake Expertise and Spread Pro-Moscow Narratives Across Social Media
   8. securityaffairs.com — OpenAI banned Russian ChatGPT accounts backing covert influence operation
   9. infosecu.technews.tw — OpenAI 示警：俄羅斯正利用 ChatGPT 建構「認知戰基礎設施」
   confidence 90%
2. 21d ago

   OpenAI Bans Russian Accounts Used in Covert Influence Campaign

   OpenAI terminated a cluster of ChatGPT accounts originating in Russia after discovering they were part of a clandestine misinformation operation. The accounts used AI to manufacture authority by promoting the International Burke Institute, a fake Israeli think tank. This entity published plagiarized academic papers and a sovereignty index that praised Russia to spread pro-Moscow narratives across social media. OpenAI stated the incident demonstrates how influence actors utilize AI as a supporting tool to create fake expertise within broader efforts to mislead the public.

   Why it matters

   State-sponsored influence operations often use fabricated institutions to lend legitimacy to political propaganda. By automating the creation of academic-style content, actors can scale the appearance of intellectual consensus. This case highlights the vulnerability of digital trust to AI-generated authority.

   What is confirmed

   • OpenAI terminated a cluster of ChatGPT accounts originating in Russia used in a covert influence campaign.
   • The banned accounts promoted a fake Israeli think tank called the International Burke Institute.
   • The operation used plagiarized academic articles and a sovereignty index that praised Russia to spread pro-Moscow narratives.
   • OpenAI stated the incident illustrates how influence actors use AI as a supporting tool to manufacture authority.

   What to watch next

   • Evidence of other fake think tanks created using similar AI methods
   • Official Russian government response to the OpenAI bans
   • Further technical details on how OpenAI detected the account cluster
   Sources used for this update (10)

   1. CNBC — OpenAI bans Russian ChatGPT accounts used in covert misinformation campaign
   2. OpenAI — Disrupting a new covert influence campaign from Russia
   3. Yahoo — OpenAI Uncovers a Covert Russian Influence Machine Using ChatGPT to Build Fake Expertise and Spread Pro-Moscow Narratives Across Social Media
   4. The Register — Slop factory bans Russians for using slop factory to create slop
   5. Le Monde.fr — Russian disinformation on ChatGPT: Fake Telegram channels, fake videos and a real-fake Israeli think tank
   6. TradingView — OpenAI says Recently Banned Cluster Of ChatGPT Accounts Originating In Russia That Were Being Used To Promote The International Burke Institute
   7. www.cnbc.com — OpenAI bans Russian ChatGPT accounts used in covert misinformation campaign
   8. www.yahoo.com — OpenAI bans Russian ChatGPT accounts in influence campaign
   9. www.yahoo.com — OpenAI Uncovers a Covert Russian Influence Machine Using ChatGPT to Build Fake Expertise and Spread Pro-Moscow Narratives Across Social Media
   10. www.cnbc.com — OpenAI data center chief Chris Malone is out, the latest in a string of executive exits
   confidence 100%