OpenAI says China-linked accounts posed as Americans to oppose US data centres

OpenAI said it identified a cluster of China-linked ChatGPT accounts that posed as Americans and generated English-language posts and cartoon images opposing US data centre construction, a campaign the company nicknamed Data Center Bandwagon. The accounts were likely tied to a private Chinese technology firm working for provincial-level government clients, OpenAI said, and the posts had limited reach. Ben Nimmo, OpenAI's principal investigator on intelligence and investigations, said: "The debate existed already. This was an influence operation from China trying to interfere in it." The underlying fight is real. Local opposition blocked or delayed dozens of US data centre projects representing more than $150 billion in potential investment in 2025, according to Data Center Watch. OpenAI also identified a second campaign, Tech and Tariffs, creating content critical of US tariffs and the push for global tech dominance.