# OpenAI — Silver lining playbook: Likely China-origin activity targeting US persons

- Company: OpenAI (openai.com)
- Announced: 2026-02-01
- Category: safety-policy-update
- Coverage: not counted
- Announcement: no
- Group: routine
- Source: https://openai.com/index/disrupting-malicious-uses-of-ai-silver-lining-playbook
- Record: https://forck.live/items/11691-silver-lining-playbook-likely-china-origin-activity-targeting-us-persons
- Subject: GPT / ChatGPT / API
- Models affected: ChatGPT

OpenAI banned a small set of ChatGPT accounts likely originating in mainland China that used the platform to research US persons, federal building locations, and social-engineering tactics. The accounts generated English-language email drafts impersonating a Hong Kong consulting firm to target US state-level officials and policy analysts with recruitment invitations, and requested guidance on face-swapping software. OpenAI found no evidence the accounts successfully elicited responses from their targets.

## Evidence

Verbatim from https://openai.com/index/disrupting-malicious-uses-of-ai-silver-lining-playbook:

> OpenAI banned a small set of ChatGPT accounts likely originated in China that used our models to request information about US persons, forums and federal building locations, guidance on face- swapping software and generated emails in English that resembled attempts at social engineering.

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Record: https://forck.live/items/11691-silver-lining-playbook-likely-china-origin-activity-targeting-us-persons
Catalogue: https://forck.live/llms.txt
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