X says it found and took down a Chinese bot farm posting anti-AI data center content to thousands of followers

An investigation by X discovered approximately 200,000 Chinese bot accounts, with 200 of them actively posting anti-AI content aimed at influencing discussions about data centers. These posts targeted valid concerns from US citizens regarding data centers, such as the impact on household electricity prices and the strain on the US power grid. The 200 offending accounts promoted narratives suggesting that AI data centers were increasing energy costs and were being subsidized by wealthy AI and data center companies.

X's Global Government Affairs account revealed that some of these posts featured cartoonish illustrations depicting data center operators as profiting while consumers bore the financial burden. The company stated that these actions constituted an attempt to interfere with legitimate debate about American AI and energy policies. After identifying these accounts, X has suspended the violators, asserting that while it seeks to maintain an open and authentic platform, fake accounts and bots are not permitted.

The incident mirrors a similar operation by OpenAI, which uncovered a cluster of likely Chinese accounts using ChatGPT to generate propaganda-like content critical of US AI data centers. OpenAI described this as a "Data Center Bandwagon" and banned the accounts, noting that they often requested English outputs and utilized VPNs to bypass restrictions in mainland China.

Industry, governments, civil society, and the public should remain vigilant for similar attempts to manipulate messages and potentially slow America's progress in AI infrastructure development, according to OpenAI. Both X and OpenAI emphasize their commitment to maintaining the integrity of the global digital space and actively suspend accounts that violate their authenticity policies. However, the full impact of these bot accounts on public perception remains unclear.