ChatGPT being used to influence US elections, claims OpenAI

With the US gearing up for presidential polls next month, OpenAI said that its AI chatbot ChatGPT has been used to create fake content, aimed to influence the US elections. It said cybercriminals are increasingly using AI tools, including ChatGPT, to aid in their malicious activities such as creating and fixing malware, and generating fake and deceptive content for websites and social media platforms.

The ChatGPT-maker claimed that it has so far neutralised over 20 such attempts this year, including shutting down a group of ChatGPT accounts in August that were generating articles on topics like the US elections. In spite of these efforts, OpenAI claimed that none of the attempts to influence elections achieved widespread impact or built a sustained audience.

The development raises significant concerns about misinformation, manipulation, and the overall health of democratic processes, although this is not the first time when there has been a report on malicious actors using technology to manipulate the US elections.

Tech majors, including Google, Microsoft and OpenAI have previously reported that hackers are trying sophisticated techniques to influence people through social media platforms. Recently, the Facebook-parent, Meta, too claimed that it has taken down accounts connected to Iranian hackers targeting the forthcoming US elections.

According to reports, the US Department of Homeland Security has also identified a surging threat from Russia, Iran, and China seeking to interfere with elections, scheduled to take place on November 5. This includes the use of AI to spread false or divisive information.

In July, OpenAI reportedly also banned accounts from Rwanda that were generating comments about the Rwandan elections for dissemination on social media platform X.

Meanwhile, OpenAI, the San Francisco (California)-headquartered artificial intelligence company, has now cemented its position as one of the world’s most valuable private companies after a $6.6 billion funding round recently.