OpenAI has removed accounts linked to users in China and North Korea, citing concerns over their misuse of AI for surveillance and influence operations.
In a report released Friday, the ChatGPT maker stated that authoritarian regimes could exploit AI for activities targeting both the U.S. and its citizens. OpenAI used AI-powered detection tools to identify and take down these accounts, though it did not disclose the exact number of bans or the timeframe of the actions.
One case involved Chinese-linked users generating Spanish-language news articles critical of the United States, which were later published under a Chinese company’s byline in Latin American media. In another instance, North Korean-affiliated actors allegedly used AI to create fake resumes and online profiles to fraudulently secure jobs at Western companies. Additionally, a financial fraud operation based in Cambodia leveraged OpenAI’s technology to generate and translate comments across platforms like X and Facebook.
