OpenAI says Chinese propaganda is being deployed to foment dissent over tariffs, data centers

Chinese propagandists have been trying to use OpenAI’s flagship chat to gin up opposition to Donald Trump’s tariffs and intervene in American debates over data centers and AI, OpenAI said in a report published on Wednesday.

The company said its efforts, dating to late 2025 and early 2026, appeared to have had little or no effect, but it is another indication of how central generative AI is ‌becoming in digital ⁠influence ⁠campaigns – even ones aimed against AI companies themselves.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington said that while it was not familiar ​with OpenAI’s research, “we firmly oppose any groundless attacks or smears against China” and that Beijing was working ​to “ensure AI is a force for good and for all.”