Chinese Bot Farm Campaign Targets US AI Policy Debate on X
X's security team discovered approximately 200 Chinese bot accounts within a larger network conducting coordinated influence operations to manipulate US public opinion against AI data center expansion. The campaign, confirmed by prior similar activity detected by OpenAI, reportedly delayed hundreds of millions of dollars in data center projects and increased public opposition to local data center construction.
What happened
X's security team identified approximately 200 accounts within a larger network of roughly 200,000 suspected Chinese bot accounts engaged in influence operations on the platform. These accounts posted content aimed at manipulating US public discourse about AI data centers and energy policy.
The bot accounts published content claiming AI data centers increase household electricity prices and strain electrical grids. They also distributed cartoons depicting AI developers as profiteering at the expense of public interest.
Reported impact
US House Committee on Energy and Commerce members raised concerns in a June letter to the FBI about hostile nations conducting propaganda to delay or obstruct data center expansion projects. They estimated that opposition activity delayed or blocked approximately $458 million in data center projects in Virginia.
A University of Pennsylvania poll conducted in early August showed 61% of respondents opposed new data center construction in their region, up 12 percentage points from surveys conducted in February and March.
Index analysis
OpenAI previously disclosed in June that it had blocked a batch of accounts suspected to originate from China that were used for influence operations targeting US audiences. Those accounts published comments and images suggesting AI causes rising electricity costs.
The campaign reflects broader US-China competition over AI dominance, with China seeking to undermine US AI development through online manipulation of public sentiment against data center expansion.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.