OpenAI Disrupts Iranian Influence Campaign Using AI to Spread Misinformation During U.S. Elections

On Friday, OpenAI revealed the disruption of an Iranian influence campaign leveraging its generative AI technologies to disseminate misinformation online, including content related to the U.S. presidential election. The San Francisco-based A.I. firm stated that it had banned several accounts linked to the campaign from its online services. OpenAI further emphasized that the Iranian effort did not appear to have reached a substantial audience.

Ben Nimmo, a principal investigator at OpenAI, noted that the operation did not seem to benefit from increased audience engagement due to the use of A.I. He expressed that there were no signs of substantial engagement from real individuals. This raises concerns about the potential to influence public opinion during a year with major global elections.

Impact of Generative A.I. on Disinformation

The rising popularity of generative A.I., exemplified by OpenAI's online chatbot, ChatGPT, has sparked discussions about its contribution to online disinformation. As the world approaches pivotal elections, the scrutiny on A.I. technologies' role in spreading misinformation is more pronounced than ever.