OpenAI Says Suspected Chinese Operatives Used ChatGPT to Draft Surveillance Plans

OpenAI has revealed that suspected Chinese government-linked users exploited ChatGPT to develop proposals for large-scale surveillance systems, raising concerns over the growing misuse of artificial intelligence in state monitoring efforts.

According to a report released on Tuesday, the AI research firm found that individuals “likely connected to a Chinese government entity” asked ChatGPT to help write proposals for a tool capable of analysing the travel patterns and police records of Uyghur Muslims and other so-called “high-risk” individuals.

Another user, also identified as a Chinese speaker, reportedly sought ChatGPT’s assistance in creating promotional materials for software designed to scan social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook for political and religious content. Both accounts have since been banned, OpenAI said.

Ben Nimmo, OpenAI’s principal investigator, told CNN the findings underscore how authoritarian regimes are looking to harness AI to enhance domestic surveillance.

“There’s a push within the People’s Republic of China to get better at using artificial intelligence for large-scale things like surveillance and monitoring,” Nimmo said.

The report describes the activity as a “rare snapshot into the broader world of authoritarian abuses of AI,” highlighting how emerging technologies can be weaponised for repression rather than innovation.

US-China AI Rivalry Intensifies

The revelations come amid intensifying competition between the United States and China for global dominance in artificial intelligence. Both countries are investing billions of dollars to outpace each other in developing advanced AI models.

Earlier this year, Chinese tech company DeepSeek drew attention with the release of its low-cost AI model, R1, which rivals ChatGPT in performance. Around the same period, US President Donald Trump announced a private-sector plan to invest $500 million in AI infrastructure to strengthen America’s technological leadership.

Responding to OpenAI’s findings, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, dismissed the allegations, saying:

“We oppose groundless attacks and slanders against China.”

The disclosure marks one of the clearest indications yet of how artificial intelligence is being repurposed by state actors for surveillance and information control — a development that could further strain US-China relations over technology and national security.