Chinese Propagandists Utilize AI to Target U.S. Policies

OpenAI's report highlights attempts by Chinese propagandists to leverage their chatbot technology to influence U.S. opinions on Trump's tariffs and AI debates. While these efforts seemingly had minimal impact, they underscore the rising use of AI in digital influence campaigns, even targeting AI companies themselves.

Chinese propagandists have been employing OpenAI's flagship chatbot to stir opposition to former President Donald Trump's tariffs and to influence American debates on data centers and artificial intelligence, according to a report released by OpenAI on Wednesday.

The company reported these activities from late 2025 and early 2026, observing minimal to no influence from these endeavors. Nevertheless, this development underscores the centrality of generative AI in digital influence strategies, even those targeting AI companies themselves.

OpenAI identified interactions by a group using ChatGPT to craft slogans and cartoons criticizing Trump's trade policies, which were then distributed on social media platform X. Additionally, contributions in Chinese, Italian, and Japanese were noted, exemplifying how AI-generated content infiltrates legitimate debates.