OpenAI: China Uses AI to Intervene in US Tariff Policy and Data Center Debate

OpenAI today released a report stating that Chinese propagandists attempted to use its ChatGPT chatbot to stir public opposition to US President Donald Trump's tariff policies and intervene in the US public debate over data centers and artificial intelligence (AI).

According to Reuters, OpenAI stated that these activities took place between late 2025 and early 2026. While the actual impact appears to have been very limited and largely ineffective, the incident highlights how generative AI is becoming a significant tool for digital influence operations, even being used against AI companies themselves.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington stated that while it was not familiar with OpenAI's research, it "firmly opposes any groundless attacks or slander against China" and emphasized that Beijing is committed to ensuring AI becomes a "force for the benefit of all humanity."

OpenAI said it identified a group of Chinese-speaking users who used ChatGPT to create slogans and political cartoons criticizing President Trump's trade and technology policies, which were then posted on the social media platform X.

These cartoons depicted Trump engaging in destructive behavior on the international stage, such as swinging a sledgehammer at a wall labeled "Global Future" or sawing off the ladder he was climbing.

The group also used ChatGPT to generate comments in Chinese, which were posted in the comment sections of Chinese-language news articles, and created content in Italian and Japanese.

OpenAI stated that another group of users could be traced back to a technology company that had previously undertaken work for the Chinese government, though it did not name the company. This organization allegedly attempted to intervene in the US debate over AI and data centers.

The data center issue has become a politically sensitive topic in the US in recent years, with more than ten states currently imposing restrictions on data center construction or considering related regulations.

Some of the political cartoons shared by OpenAI depicted the data center industry as greedy, profit-driven enterprises, accusing their massive electricity consumption of harming the interests of ordinary citizens.

Ben Nimmo, OpenAI's chief investigator, told reporters that the actions appeared to be aimed at manipulating "the public debate on US AI and broader technology policy."

Although these influence operations do not appear to have produced significant results, the emergence of AI-assisted propaganda once again demonstrates that AI-generated imagery has become ubiquitous, and even propaganda criticizing the AI industry itself makes heavy use of AI technology.