OpenAI has banned several ChatGPT accounts with suspected links to the Chinese government after the users asked the AI chatbot for proposals on how to monitor social media conversations. The company stated that these requests constituted a clear violation of its national security policy.
The company revealed the takedowns in its latest public threat report, which highlights growing concerns about the potential misuse of powerful AI tools, particularly amid the tech rivalry between the U.S. and China.
The bans weren’t limited to just the suspected government-linked users. The report also detailed the removal of other Chinese-language accounts that were using ChatGPT to help with phishing scams and malware. It also shut down accounts tied to Russian-speaking criminal groups who were using the AI to help develop malicious software.
Despite the attempts by these groups, OpenAI was quick to point out that its AI models did not provide them with any new or special hacking abilities. The company stated that its systems rejected the “overtly malicious prompts” and found “no evidence of new tactics.”
This crackdown comes as OpenAI’s popularity continues to explode. The company now has over 800 million weekly users and has recently become the world’s most valuable startup, with a valuation of $500 billion. Since it began publishing these threat reports last year, OpenAI has disrupted more than 40 different malicious networks, demonstrating its commitment to addressing the security risks associated with its powerful technology.
