{
  "id": 13035576,
  "title": "Russian fake think-tank with real employees exposed in 'most complex' influence operation attempt, OpenAI says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/russian-fake-think-tank-with-real-employees-exposed-in-most-complex",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-09T05:18:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/openai-russia-iran-chatgpt-influence-fake-front-6444996"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "OpenAI announced on October 8 that it had banned Russian and Iranian accounts using its ChatGPT AI assistant for covert influence operations. The Russian campaign, believed to be the most complex attempt to date, reportedly led to politicians commenting publicly in several countries. The operation targeted Latin American countries with a fake think-tank, staffed by unwitting local employees, while the Iranian operation used fake journalist personas to pitch articles to genuine media outlets worldwide. Both campaigns aimed to launder geopolitical messaging into target audiences. OpenAI identified a key Russian arm as the Social Research Center, which appeared to have duped local employees in Latin America into working for the operation without knowledge of its true purpose. OpenAI rated the Russian campaign a Category 5, the second-highest level on its scale, due to its potential impact and prompting of public comment by politicians.",
  "summary": "A separate Iran-origin campaign used ChatGPT to edit and pitch nearly 100 articles that were published by real media outlets – under fake journalist bylines.",
  "key_points": [
    "OpenAI banned Russian and Iranian accounts for covert influence operations.",
    "Russian campaign involved fake think-tank with unwitting local employees.",
    "Iranian operation used fake journalist personas to pitch articles."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The exposure of the Russian fake think-tank reveals a sophisticated influence operation that successfully manipulated unwitting local employees and garnered public comments from politicians, highlighting the operation's significant potential impact.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "Iranian operatives used AI to plant fake stories in US media, generate anti-US war narratives: OpenAI reveals",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/iranian-operatives-used-ai-to-plant-fake-stories-in-us-media-generate",
        "published": "2026-10-09T02:52:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}