Shutdown of Covert Propaganda Networks
OpenAI announced on Oct. 8 that it had shut down two influence operations originating from Russia and Iran, which utilized ChatGPT to generate fake journalist personas and operate a "think tank" to covertly disseminate anti-Ukraine propaganda.
The American artificial intelligence company stated that it banned a cluster of ChatGPT accounts that originated in both countries. These accounts were used to support "false front" entities for geopolitical and conflict-related messaging, according to OpenAI's report released Thursday.
OpenAI described the shutdown as an illustration of how state actors can exploit widely available AI tools to spread sophisticated propaganda against adversaries on a mass scale.
Details of the Iranian Operation
The Iranian network involved seven "journalist" profiles that purported to be from Western countries, including the United States. These personas were used to plant long-form articles in media outlets around the world.
OpenAI identified almost 100 articles published or syndicated under these bylines across roughly a dozen online outlets focused on international affairs and geopolitics.
The activity spanned from July 2025 to October 2026. The frequency of posts increased after the US-Iran war broke out earlier in 2026, according to the report.
One specific persona, named Ervin B. Hoskins, claimed to be an American freelance writer. This individual maintained social media accounts on X and Instagram, which were later suspended by those platforms.
Transparency information linked the Ervin B. Hoskins account to a "West Asia android app" and confirmed its base was in Iran.
The Russian Think Tank Scheme
The Russian operation took a different approach by co-opting unwitting people in Latin America to run a "think tank" called the Social Research Center (SRC). The goal of this entity was to undermine Ukraine’s reputation and influence local politics in the region.
OpenAI stated that SRC employees in Latin America were not aware they were working for a Russian group. Despite their lack of knowledge regarding the operation's origins, the accounts associated with the SRC were also shut down as part of the broader disruption effort.