DBT Bureau
Bengaluru, 1 June
OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, said it thwarted attempts by entities to influence the outcome of the Indian General Elections, 2024.
In a report posted on its website, the Generative AI-focussed firm said STOIC, a political campaign management firm in Israel, generated some content on elections and the Gaza conflict that was pro-Congress (the main opposition party of India) and anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (currently, the ruling party of India). However, OpenAI disrupted the covert influence campaign originating in Israel and contained it within 24 hours.
“In May, the network began generating comments that focused on India, criticized the ruling BJP party, and praised the opposition Congress party. In May, we disrupted some activity focused on the Indian elections less than 24 hours after it began,” OpenAI in a report on its website said.
OpenAI said as a remedial measure, the GenAI firm banned several accounts with such nefarious activities.
“We banned a cluster of accounts operated from Israel that were being used to generate and edit content for an influence operation that spanned X, Facebook, Instagram, websites, and YouTube. The network was operated by STOIC, a political campaign management firm in Israel. In honour of the founder of the stoic school of philosophy, and to reflect the low levels of engagement that the network attracted, we have nicknamed it ‘Zero Zeno’,” the company said in the report.
The influence of social media platforms has increased manifold across nations. This has led to multiple instances wherein nefarious elements are trying to influence the outcome of elections in many countries. Artificial intelligence-powered solutions have complicated the process further.
Many countries like the US, Canada, Australia, and others witnessed instances of such manipulation attempts over the years. Governments across the world have been urging social media platforms and tech giants to control such instances of manipulation to make the election process free and fair.
