OpenAI users in Russia, Iran used models to push political agenda online, in media

OpenAI banned several accounts associated with two propaganda operations based in Iran and Russia, respectively, it confirmed Thursday — the latter of which the tech company said had the greatest reach it has recorded since it began reporting on and disrupting such schemes.

The influence operations used OpenAI models alongside “more traditional techniques and technologies to support sophisticated ‘false front’ entities,” and in turn, covertly promote the two countries’ political agendas. The plots involved the use of AI to create and spread fake news stories, as well as operate a fraudulent think tank.

“They used those entities to launder geopolitical, conflict-related messaging into their target audiences,” OpenAI wrote. “The Iranian operation included a stable of seven ‘journalist’ personas which it used to pitch long-form articles to small and medium online outlets around the world; the Russian operation appears to have co-opted unwitting people in Latin America to run a ‘think tank’ on the ground.”

The tech firm noted that the operations were “trying a range of different tactics to achieve their goals”; the Iranian operation generated social media comments regarding the U.S.’s war with the Islamic Republic while the Russian operation created fake “leaked” documents and audio scripts — including some that “undermine[d] recruitment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

The Russian operation, which OpenAI referred to as “Dark Clark” after a fake persona created for the scheme, also “fed into public tensions between Ukraine and Poland.” As part of the plot, they generated reports tied to the “Social Research Center,” a faux think tank that recruited employees throughout Latin America and tricked institutions throughout the region.

The Iranian plot, dubbed “Bogus Bylines,” used virtual private networks to disguise users’ locations and generate different “American freelance writer” personas, though transparency settings located the accounts in Iran. Those running the accounts then generated false stories surrounding the U.S.-Iran war under these personas and flooded social media platforms with comments related to geopolitical topics — both in English and Persian.

“Both operations also made heavy use of AI to draft internal reports,” OpenAI added, noting that the Russian operation did this more than anything else. “In both cases, the actors used questionable or outright deceitful methodologies to exaggerate the operators’ effectiveness.”

In 2025, OpenAI similarly reported that U.S. foreign adversaries were using ChatGPT with other AI models to “ achieve their arms ,” citing another Russian cyber operation that posted AI-generated content across various platforms.

The latest report comes as the American public’s trust in AI, and in lawmakers’ ability to handle its development, dwindles. In a recent Reuters/Ipsos survey , 57 percent of respondents said they believe the Trump administration is not taking the risks posed by AI seriously enough, while 54 percent said the same of Congress.

The Trump administration has largely favored voluntary safeguards over sweeping federal regulations.

President Trump invited key AI industry leaders to the White House last week, where the CEOs for tech firms such as Nvidia, Anthropic, Google, Meta and SpaceXAI agreed to a “ morally-binding ” self-policing pledge that involved a series of safety measures, including external reviews of their AI systems. However, critics say they don’t trust these companies to self-regulate.

OpenAI stated that reporting on AI-based influence operations like those exposed Thursday will hopefully make “further research and disruption” easier for the company to prevent similar schemes in the future, adding that these reports have in some cases deterred such activity.