OpenAI Bans Russian ChatGPT Accounts Used to Run Influence Operation

OpenAI discovered and banned Russian ChatGPT accounts that used VPNs (virtual private networks, which mask a user's location) to bypass geographic restrictions and run a coordinated influence operation. The accounts generated AI-created social media posts promoting a fake Israeli think tank called the International Burke Institute, which actually spread pro-Russia messaging through a website containing copied academic work and a 'sovereignty index' designed to make Russia look favorable compared to other countries.