OpenAI Bans Russian ChatGPT Accounts Behind Fake Think Tank
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- OpenAI banned a cluster of Russian ChatGPT accounts that used VPNs to bypass access restrictions and generated posts shared on Substack, Telegram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn promoting the International Burke Institute (IBI)
- The International Burke Institute (ibi[.]institute) is described as a self-described 'expert community' based in Israel; its website was registered in February 2025 and many articles appear copied from academic writings with false attribution or drafted by a Slavic speaker then machine-translated to English
- The campaign's reach was 'relatively small' — Telegram channels attracted roughly 10-20,000 followers each — and operators instructed ChatGPT to conceal Russian linguistic clues while producing mostly English content
- The IBI's 'Sovereignty Index' scores seven indicators (political, economic, technological, information, cultural, cognitive, military) on a 100-700 scale, ranking the U.S. at 650.9, China at 649.1, Switzerland at 610.7, and Russia at 601.4, with Russia's report claiming it is 'one of the three world powers with full digital and military nuclear sovereignty'
- One ChatGPT user created a profile picture for a Telegram channel called 'American Observer' and repeatedly requested Russian-language summaries of channel activity
- OpenAI said the operation is distinct from previously documented Russia-linked influence efforts, noting the significance lies in the infrastructure built — purported experts, republished academic work, and a proprietary risk index — rather than the audience it reached
Why it matters: OpenAI's disclosure exposes a new playbook in which AI is used not just to mass-produce posts but to manufacture a credible-looking institution — a fake think tank, a proprietary scoring system, and borrowed academic credentials — that can be scaled later. The 10-20,000 follower reach was modest, but the 2025-registered website, custom 'Sovereignty Index,' and Russia-flattering country assessments show influence actors are now building authority infrastructure that outlives any single platform ban.
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