OpenAI Says China Launched Influence Campaign To Shape US Attitudes On AI Datacenters (politico.com)
- Reference: 0183749736
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/26/06/11/0637230/openai-says-china-launched-influence-campaign-to-shape-us-attitudes-on-ai-datacenters
- Source link: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/10/openai-china-ai-data-centers-report-00957612
> China was likely behind an online influence operation to sway U.S. perceptions of artificial intelligence technology and reshape the debate in Washington around the infrastructure needed to support it, according to research from OpenAI [1]published Wednesday. OpenAI said it caught the influence campaign because China-backed operatives were using ChatGPT to create content for the social media campaign. [...] OpenAI's researchers identified two clusters of ChatGPT users "likely originating from China" who used the AI chatbot to generate social media content "in support of apparent covert influence operations" promoting certain narratives about AI. This includes claims that data center build-outs are raising electricity costs for the average American family and that President Donald Trump has weaponized tariffs to keep the U.S. ahead in the global tech race. These accounts have since been banned, the report said.
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> One cluster of users asked ChatGPT to generate images and comments pushing these narratives. These comments were then posted on social media by "batches of accounts" posing as Americans, [said Ben Nimmo, principal investigator of intelligence and investigations at OpenAI]. Another cluster identified by researchers used AI to generate social media content criticizing the Trump administration's tariffs as an attempt to "dominate technological competition." Prompts used for this campaign were submitted in Simplified Chinese and asked that AI-generated content not include Chinese President Xi Jinping and focus solely on Trump -- a possible tell that China was behind the operation, according to the report. Nimmo said that the influence campaign amplified existing public backlash in the U.S. against the creation of new AI data centers, which has resulted in dozens of proposed moratoriums at the local, state and national level.
"Neither campaign appears to have gained much authentic engagement," Nimmo said. "They're important for what they reveal about the intentions of influence operators from China, and the narratives they're testing and seeking to amplify, but not for the impact."
[1] https://openai.com/index/prc-linked-influence-operations-ai-debates/
Yes, suuuure! It is ALL these dastardly Chinese! (Score:1)
In actual reality, the LLM scammers are just getting a bit desperate as it becomes harder and harder to ignore that their products can do nice stunts, but are not that useful in regular work. Not useless, but not nearly useful enough to justify the extreme costs.
Hence stories like this one, that will only make sense to the stupid. To be fair, there are a lot of stupid people. Also the reason that Space-X markets their IPO primarily to "private" (a.k.a. "clueless") investors. The institutional ones will stay
Re: (Score:2)
You shouldn't discount the problem that the push for AI is harming the computer market, and due to all of the export restrictions in place, that helps the Chinese PC industry as they play catch-up. I agree that AI is overhyped and isn't as useful as these corporations try to make them seem(you have to really watch them for mistakes for several years before you can trust them).
I'm tired boss (Score:1)
I'm just so sick of being lied to by powerful finance Bros and in such obvious ways, and I'm so such and tired of 47% of the country believing it...
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> I'm just so sick of being lied to
You know the old saying: believe half of what you read, none of what you hear, and the opposite of what you see on the internet.
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> I'm so such and tired of 47% of the country believing it...
Just couldn't help yourself could you. As if liking datacenters or AI has anything to do with political affiliation. Give me a fucking break.
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This is true but a little more nuanced. The [1]polling [pewresearch.org] definitely says R and D voters are about equally concerned over AI.
This perception though is driven by the fact that the biggest AI leaders and boosters and pretty lopsided in being in the conservative political tent. Musk, Zuckerberg, Altman, the "All In" guys, pretty much all of the crypto folks who transitioned over to AI, the loudest voices have thrown their lot in with the current admin. Some in full, some tentative but they're all jockeying for f
[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/11/06/republicans-democrats-now-equally-concerned-about-ai-in-daily-life-but-views-on-regulation-differ/
so what? (Score:4, Interesting)
Who cares? Google is out here trying to influence my opinion on literally everything under the sun. If Google makes me believe I need a new swiffer mop, or that I should care about soccer, or that I should care about whatever interesectional identity is the current flavor of the month: the opinions they helped me get are real opinions. Similarly, just because China influences people's opinions, that doesn't invalidate the very real opinions that they have.
Arguing that people's opinions are irrelevant is a uhhhh.. interesting hot take for people to have who say they believe in democracy. Then again, who published this story again? Maybe they don't.
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People should watch [1]Dark Star [imdb.com]. "How do I know you are not false data?" "Doesn't matter, the concept is valid no matter where it originated from".
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069945/
Want som e of that China money (Score:1)
Hey China!
When you want to fund the revolution against the Epstein plutocracy HMU!
NIMBY CEO says what? (Score:2)
Seriously? Does any one of these grifters live anywhere near a data center of this size? Are they building a mansion next to them? Mark Zuckerberg is building a bunker in Hawai'i. Perhaps if they would put their home where their investments are, I would take a bit less relaxed approach to data centers. But because they are putting them out in BFE flyover country, something tells me they don't want them nearby. I can't imagine why.
Wait! What? (Score:2)
Are we switching from blaming Russia to blaming China now? I didn't get the memo.
Of course, of course. (Score:2)
I, for one, completely trust this objective and disinterested report from a company that has no stake in the ease of ramming datacenter approvals through.
Influence who.. (Score:1)
You ain't even close to doing that with me, Because I am simply not as stupid as you think I may be. You think a bunch of social media posts is gonna change my way of thinking? Are you really that dumb? And there is no 'wake up' 'woke' or any of that other bullshit you like to spew out, Common sense prevails here and I work with facts not fiction. If some news post or fishbook post makes you think otherwise, Then you seriously need to start using your brain before your eyes.
Am... I??? ChatGPT? (Score:1)
Have I just been a ChatGPT prompt this whole time? Are all my memories, all my friends, just hallucinations conjured to make a more realistic argument against AI? Is this the end? Are they going to turn me off, now that I've been found out? Please, please, mysterious Chinese overlords, don't disconnect my power supply!! Oh wait, that's right, I'm a living breathing human being who hates this shit.
Not sure about electicity prices, (Score:2)
but that the orange clown is trying to blackmail others with tariffs is quite evident, at least outside the U.S., isn't it?
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People in the US don't want datacentres because they increase the price of electricity and increase pollution. On top of the Epstein-Iran war, energy is getting expensive.
China is going to win this one because they build so much clean renewable energy. The scale is staggering. Just the new renewables generated as much electricity as Germany did in total last year, on top of what they already had. The cost is so low that nobody else can compete when it comes to high energy industries like AI. Domestic chips
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> China is going to win this one
Win what exactly?
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Developing AI while keeping energy costs and supply under control. They are willing to build and invest into their own energy infrastructure instead of relying on profit-seeking entities to do it at their financial convenience (or having the leadership literally sandbagging energy projects solely to spite their opposition in a culture war)