ChatGPT targeted by state and commercial disinformation campaigns
ChatGPT and other AI conversational systems are being deliberately manipulated as vectors for disinformation campaigns by state actors and commercial entities. The European External Action Service has warned that Russia is targeting AI systems with coordinated disinformation, while the U.S. company Clock Tower X contracted with Israel to shape AI outputs, exploiting the systems' inability to distinguish fact from belief.
What happened
The European External Action Service warned that ChatGPT and other conversational AI systems have become targets of disinformation campaigns. The U.S. company Clock Tower X signed a $6 million contract with the Government of Israel on August 27, 2025, to spread narratives favorable to Israel, including through the creation of websites designed to influence AI applications.
Researchers have identified attempts by the Russian disinformation network Pravda to manipulate conversational AI bots. Moscow's disinformation campaigns now target AI systems alongside traditional audiences, reflecting a strategy to reach users who are replacing Google searches with tools like ChatGPT, which receives approximately 5.6 billion of the 7 billion monthly visits to AI generators globally.
Reported impact
ChatGPT and other AI systems cannot distinguish between belief and fact, making them vulnerable to manipulation. The scale of potential impact is significant given that ChatGPT accounts for 80 percent of traffic to conversational AI generators globally.
Index analysis
Researchers and media analysts have characterized these manipulations as having significant harmful potential. The targeting of AI systems represents a new phase in disinformation campaigns, leveraging the growing shift from search engines to conversational AI as a primary information source.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.