OpenAI Exposes China-Linked Campaign Using ChatGPT to Spread Data Center Disinformation

Executive Briefing

• Reveals two clusters of China-linked ChatGPT accounts banned for spreading disinformation about US AI infrastructure and electricity prices
• Targets included domestic US audiences, overseas Chinese dissidents, and narratives around tariffs and American technological dominance
• Campaign ranked Category One on the Breakout Scale, indicating minimal real-world traction with most posts receiving little engagement
• Accounts linked to a Chinese government contractor used AI-generated cartoons and doctored images to amplify economic anxieties
• Marks the first detected Chinese-linked disinformation effort specifically targeting AI data centers, per OpenAI's June 2026 threat report