Chinese Social Media Bots Target U.S. Audiences with Anti-Data Center Propaganda, X Identifies Influence Operation
X, formerly Twitter, has identified hundreds of suspected Chinese accounts engaged in a covert influence operation targeting U.S. audiences with anti-artificial intelligence (AI) data center propaganda. This operation involved approximately 200,000 inauthentic accounts, with 200 specifically focused on swaying public opinion against AI infrastructure by spreading warnings about rising energy rates and depicting corporations as destructive to communities. OpenAI also reported banning a group of accounts, likely originating in China, for similar activities. This comes as public opposition to data centers is growing in the U.S., with a recent poll indicating that only 24% of Americans believe new data center construction is beneficial for the country, while 47% view it negatively. 
