OpenAI has disclosed in a recent report that it successfully disrupted five covert influence campaigns conducted by state actors using its artificial intelligence tools. These campaigns, attributed to entities linked to Russia, China, Iran, and Israel, aimed to manipulate public opinion and elections worldwide.
The report, published on May 30, 2024, details how these operations leveraged OpenAI's technology to generate fake texts, images, and social media comments, alongside analyzing social media activity and debugging code. A Russian operation generated multilingual comments to undermine support for Ukraine, while a Chinese campaign researched social media activity and created multilingual content.
The New York Times also reports that an Iranian group used OpenAI's tools to produce anti-US and anti-Israel articles and content. In Israel, a political campaign management firm was found using OpenAI's models to create content related to the Gaza conflict and Jewish-Muslim relations.
OpenAI's intervention highlights growing concerns about the malicious use of AI amid numerous global elections and geopolitical tensions. While the company claims the campaigns had limited success, it is believed that their influence could grow as this technology advances. OpenAI, along with other tech giants like Meta, has ramped up efforts to detect and dismantle disinformation networks, working closely with other entities and sharing intelligence to prevent future influence operations.
Ben Nimmo, the principal investigator for OpenAI’s Intelligence and Investigations team, emphasized that AI was used to increase the volume of content with fewer errors, blending AI-generated material with traditional content. Despite these efforts, OpenAI asserts that none of the campaigns achieved significant reach, with none surpassing a 2 out of 6 on the "Breakout Scale", which measures the potential influence of malicious activities on audiences.
OpenAI's proactive measures underscore the critical role of AI in both the creation and disruption of influence operations, setting a precedent for future efforts to combat disinformation.
