Using AI, Iranian Accounts Closed for Attempting to Target U.S. Elections

A few days after a report by Microsoft discussed Iranian efforts to influence U.S. elections, OpenAI closed the accounts of an Iranian group on Friday for using the chatbot “ChatGPT” to generate content intended to influence the U.S. presidential elections and other issues.

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The operation, named Storm-2035, used ChatGPT to produce content focused on topics such as commentary on candidates from both sides in the U.S. elections, the conflict in Gaza, and Israel’s participation in the Olympics. This content was then posted on social media accounts and websites.

An investigation by the AI company backed by Microsoft revealed that ChatGPT had been used to produce long articles and short social media posts.

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Extent of Influence

OpenAI stated that the operation did not seem to have attracted significant public engagement.

Most of the posts identified on social media received few likes, shares, or comments, if any, and the company noticed no signs that the articles posted on websites were shared on social media.

The company stated that it has banned these accounts from using OpenAI’s services and continues to monitor activities to detect any further attempts to violate its policies.

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Earlier in August, a report from Microsoft on intelligence threats revealed that the Iranian network Storm-2035, comprising four websites masquerading as news outlets, has been working to attract American voter groups from both ends of the political spectrum.

The report stated that this attraction was based on “polarizing messages on issues such as presidential candidates, LGBTQ rights, and the conflict between Israel and Hamas.”

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Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is facing off against Republican rival Donald Trump in a tight race ahead of the presidential election set for November 5.

In May, OpenAI announced that it had disabled five covert influence operations that sought to use its models in “deceptive activities” online.