OpenAI: Cyber actors exploiting ChatGPT to influence elections

[Craig Nigrelli]

CYBER ACTORS ARE EXPLOITING CHATGPT TO INFLUENCE ELECTIONS WORLDWIDE, USING AI-GENERATED CONTENT TO SPREAD MISINFORMATION AND SWAY PUBLIC OPINION. OPENAI HAS DISRUPTED MORE THAN 20 OPERATIONS WHERE ITS AI TOOLS WERE USED TO CREATE FAKE CONTENT AIMED AT INFLUENCING GLOBAL ELECTIONS, ACCORDING TO A REPORT PUBLISHED BY THE COMPANY.

THE 54-PAGE DOCUMENT OUTLINES HOW CYBER ACTORS, INCLUDING STATE-LINKED ENTITIES, HAVE INCREASINGLY TURNED TO AI-GENERATED CONTENT, TO MISLEAD THE PUBLIC AND MANIPULATE ELECTION DISCOURSE.

THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS THAT THESE OPERATIONS TARGETED ELECTIONS IN THE U.S., RWANDA, INDIA, AND THE EUROPEAN UNION, AMONG OTHERS. OPENAI FLAGGED DECEPTIVE ACTIVITIES INVOLVING AI-GENERATED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, FAKE ACCOUNTS, AND WEBSITE ARTICLES, WHICH WERE PART OF BROADER ATTEMPTS TO INFLUENCE THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN THESE REGIONS.

ONE INCIDENT INVOLVED AN IRANIAN OPERATION IN AUGUST, WHICH USED OPENAI’S PRODUCTS TO GENERATE CONTENT ABOUT THE U.S. ELECTION. IN ANOTHER CASE, AN ISRAELI COMPANY USED CHATGPT TO GENERATE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ABOUT ELECTIONS IN INDIA, WHICH OPENAI MANAGED TO ADDRESS IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS.

THE COMPANY ALSO REVEALED THAT IT HAD BANNED A NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS FROM RWANDA IN JULY FOR GENERATING ELECTION-RELATED CONTENT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM X.

DESPITE THE RISE IN AI-DRIVEN ELECTION MISINFORMATION, OPENAI SAYS NONE OF THE IDENTIFIED EFFORTS GAINED VIRAL TRACTION OR BUILT LASTING AUDIENCES. THE COMPANY ACTED QUICKLY, NEUTRALIZING ATTEMPTS SUCH AS AN AUGUST IRANIAN OPERATION TARGETING THE U.S. ELECTION. OPENAI SAYS MOST INTERVENTIONS WERE EFFECTIVE WITHIN 24 HOURS, PREVENTING SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.

THE REPORT COMES AHEAD OF THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND AT A TIME WHEN MORE THAN 40 COUNTRIES, REPRESENTING OVER 4 BILLION PEOPLE, ARE HOLDING ELECTIONS. WITH DEEPFAKES AND AI-GENERATED CONTENT ON THE RISE, LAWMAKERS AND OFFICIALS ARE INCREASINGLY FOCUSED ON THE POTENTIAL FOR AI TOOLS TO SPREAD MISINFORMATION.

ACCORDING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, THERE IS GROWING CONCERN ABOUT THE ROLE OF FOREIGN ACTORS, PARTICULARLY FROM RUSSIA, IRAN, AND CHINA, IN USING AI TO INFLUENCE THE NOVEMBER  ELECTION.

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