Russian Influence Network Used ChatGPT to Masquerade as Academic Experts
OpenAI said it disrupted a Russia-based influence operation that used ChatGPT to promote a fake academic entity, the International Burke Institute, through polished social media accounts and site content. The operators used Russian-language prompts, VPNs, and instructions to make posts look non-Russian, while generating mostly English-language material. OpenAI found the institute’s website relied heavily on copied or misattributed articles, including material falsely credited to academics. The campaign had limited reach but was unusually elaborate compared with other Russia-linked operations OpenAI has removed since the Ukraine war began. OpenAI also linked Russia-backed actors to previous AI-driven disinformation efforts, including Doppelganger, and to cyber operations such as phishing support. OpenAI did not determine whether the institute was connected to the Russian government or whether any Israeli individuals were knowingly involved.
