OpenAI's report on an Iran-linked network that published fake content in global media

OpenAI's report on an Iran-linked network that published fake content in global media

🔸 OpenAI announced that it has blocked a network of ChatGPT user accounts whose battalion members from Iran published content in international media using fake journalistic identities.

The company announced in a report on Thursday, October 16, that the battalion members of this operation, using artificial intelligence and fictitious identities, managed to publish or republish nearly 100 articles under the names of seven fake authors across 12 internet media outlets in various countries.

These fictitious identities were presented as journalists from Western countries, including America.

🔸 According to OpenAI, members of the network's battalion entered their requests in Persian into ChatGPT and used it to review and edit English articles, adapt the content to the criteria of target media outlets, and prepare article pitch letters for editors. According to this report, the use of artificial intelligence by these agents does not necessarily mean the complete generation of articles with ChatGPT, and this tool was used in some cases to prepare and improve content for the purpose of publication in real media.

The articles primarily focused on the Iran-US war and its political consequences and were published in small and medium-sized media outlets dealing with international, geopolitical, and Middle Eastern issues.

The oldest article identified by OpenAI was published in July 2025, and the most recent was published in October of this year, with the number of articles increasing significantly after the start of the Iran-US war in March of last year.

In reporting on this operation, CNN mentioned, among other things, the publication of material in the American media "The Progressive" in Los Angeles and the website "Middle East Monitor" in London.

🔸 One of the articles published in The Progressive under the title "Has America's policy toward Iran been privatized? Jared Kushner's question" was published. Read the full version of the report on the Radio Farda website.