OpenAI unveils russian and iranian ai-driven influence campaigns targeting western media

OpenAI disclosed on Thursday that it had dismantled two influence operations linked to Russia and Iran, which used AI tools like ChatGPT to create fake journalist personas and covert think tanks, successfully spreading propaganda through mainstream media. The Russian operation, dubbed 'Dark Clark,' focused on Latin America, with fake personas like Mia Clark, a supposed leader of the Social Research Center (SRC), seeding narratives against Ukraine. OpenAI noted that SRC employees were unaware they were working for Russian actors, and the group produced original content through co-opted staff. The Iranian campaign used similar AI tools to publish articles on the U.S.-Iran war, with seven fake journalists placing dozens of stories in international outlets. OpenAI rated the Russian campaign a 5 and the Iranian one a 4 on an impact scale, indicating significant success in reaching mainstream audiences.