China used ChatGPT to attack Trump's Tariffs: OpenAI has proof

Chinese-linked operatives used ChatGPT to generate anti-Trump propaganda targeting US trade and tech policy, OpenAI revealed Wednesday, making it one of the clearest documented cases of adversarial actors turning American AI tools against American political interests.

In a report published Wednesday, OpenAI said it identified Chinese-speaking users who used ChatGPT to produce slogans, cartoons, and comment-section content criticising Donald Trump's tariff and technology policies. The material was subsequently posted to X.

The cartoons depicted Trump as a destabilising global actor. In one, he swings a hammer at a wall labelled "Global Future"; in another, he saws apart a ladder while standing on it.

The same operation generated content in Italian and Japanese, as well as comments seeded into Chinese-language news articles.

OpenAI principal investigator Ben Nimmo stated that the campaign had seemed intended to interfere in what he described as "a legitimate debate about American AI and broader American technology policies", and he emphasised the irony of those who were adversaries utilising US-created technology to achieve their aims.

Another line of attack was the depiction of the US AI sector as greedy energy users hurting citizens, which mirrors the domestic concerns regarding data centre construction.

In its assessment, OpenAI reported that the campaign, which began in late 2025 and into 2026, had not been seen as having any sign of audience impact whatsoever.

When asked for comment on the results of the analysis, the Chinese embassy in Washington declined to comment beyond saying that Beijing opposed "baseless attacks and smear campaigns targeting China".