OpenAI said Russia-linked operators used ChatGPT to run a fake Latin American think-tank in a covert influence operation
OpenAI said it banned accounts traced to Russia that used ChatGPT to support a 'false front' influence operation. The operation ran a front research organisation called the Social Research Center, which targeted Latin American countries and was staffed by unwitting local employees. OpenAI said the campaign appeared aimed at damaging perceptions of Ukraine in Latin America and also extended to domestic interference in several countries. It rated the campaign a Category 5 on an influence-operation impact scale, citing evidence that it prompted public comment by politicians in several countries. The same report also covered a separate Iranian operation.
What the AI did
Russia-linked operators used ChatGPT to create both internal and public-facing content for a covert influence operation run through a front research organisation, the Social Research Center, which targeted Latin American countries. OpenAI said the operators' internal reports were generated with ChatGPT, and that they also asked its models to help find incidents in the target countries they could take credit for, even if they had not been involved.
First reported October 8, 2026 · Added to the register October 17, 2026 · 1 source
- Developer
- OpenAI
- Model
- ChatGPT
- Affected
- Local employees in Latin America
- Country
- Bolivia
- When it happened
- Not stated in the sources
- First reported
- October 8, 2026
What this means for you
Could this affect you?
If you hire remote researchers or publish third-party research or opinion pieces. Local people in Latin America were tricked into working for the front organisation without knowing it was a Russian operation. OpenAI said the campaign was used to push geopolitical, conflict-related messaging to audiences in the targeted countries and prompted public comment by politicians in several of them.
What to check
- Verify who funds and controls any body commissioning research or opinion pieces from you.
- Check contributors' identities before publishing or relying on third-party research or op-eds.
- Confirm who is behind any organisation offering remote research work before taking it on.
Areas of your AI programme this touches
Every fact and its source (6)
- OpenAI report published2026-10-08“OpenAI's Oct 8 report identified a key arm of the Russian-origin operation”[1]
- Campaign aimDamage perceptions of Ukraine in Latin America“aimed at damaging perceptions of Ukraine in Latin America”[1]
- Impact ratingCategory 5 (second-highest level)“OpenAI rated the Russian campaign a five”[1]
- Reported impactPrompted public comment by politicians in several countries“evidence the campaign had prompted public comment by politicians in a number of countries”[1]
- Alleged activityFake leaked audio recordings in Bolivia“alleged attempts to spread fake “leaked” audio recordings in Bolivia”[1]
- Front organisationSocial Research Center“running a front research organisation called the Social Research Center”[1]
Sources
- Russian fake think-tank with real employees exposed in 'most complex' influence operation attempt, OpenAI sayschannelnewsasia.com · October 9, 2026
How this record is classified. Severity M (3/5): harm to individuals, or a policy breach with limited reach. OECD level: incident, an event in which an AI system led to actual harm. Evidence: Confirmed, meaning a company, official or court statement.
The facts in At a glance and in Every fact and its source are quoted from the sources listed. The summary, What the AI did and What this means for you are written from those sources and checked against them automatically before publication. Records reflect what has been disclosed, not everything that has happened. Incidents are found through news feeds and the GDELT Project.
