OpenAI says China launched influence campaign to shape US attitudes on AI data centers

OpenAI says China launched influence campaign to shape US attitudes on AI data centers

The report's findings are likely to further fuel claims made by Republicans and pro-AI voices that foreign entities have tried to meddle in the debate over AI data centers.

China-backed operatives sought to influence debate around data centers and federal tech policy, according to research from OpenAI. | Scott Olson/Getty Images

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 published Wednesday.

OpenAI said it caught the influence campaign because China-backed operatives were using ChatGPT to create content for the social media campaign.

The report’s findings are likely to further fuel claims made by Republicans and others pro-AI voices that foreign entities have tried to meddle in the debate over AI data centers, which has become a policy flashpoint heading into the midterms.