OpenAI Says ChatGPT refused to help Chinese influence operations

OpenAI said its ChatGPT AI service refused to assist an individual associated with Chinese law enforcement in planning an online campaign to discredit Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

In its latest update on disrupting malicious uses of artificial intelligence, the San Francisco-based start-up detailed requests by the user that included editing status reports on a wider net of covert influence operations against domestic and foreign adversaries.

OpenAI interpreted the evidence it gathered as indicative of a “large-scale, resource-intensive and sustained” effort by Chinese law enforcement to suppress dissent.

“I’m not familiar with what you mentioned and do not see any basis for this accusation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news conference on Feb 26.

The announcement comes on the heels of archrival Anthropic PBC’s decision to loosen its hallmark commitment to AI guardrails, even as it

resists pressure from the US Department of Defense

about dropping such safeguards.

OpenAI on Feb 25 said it identified a series of misdeeds that included romance scams targeting Indonesians, a social media content farm linked to Russia and more accounts deemed likely to have originated in China seeking information from US officials.

The plan targeting Ms Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, surfaced in mid-October, in the days leading up to her election when she criticised the state of human rights in Inner Mongolia, according to OpenAI.

The user sought help in crafting a plan that would amplify negative comments about Ms Takaichi, accuse her of far-right leanings and increase online pressure, the company said.

The Japanese prime minister later elicited a rebuke from China over remarks about Taiwan, a self-governing island that China considers part of its territory.

The

ensuing diplomatic spat

continues to weigh on tourism and trade between the two countries. BLOOMBERG