OpenAI Operation Zero Zeno: Israel-linked Influence Activity

OpenAI has banned a network of accounts operated by STOIC, a political campaign management firm based in Israel, to disrupt an influence operation nicknamed "Zero Zeno." The network used OpenAI models to generate and edit content for a multi-platform campaign targeting audiences in Canada, the United States, Israel, and India, as well as preparing for activity in Ghana.

AI-Driven Content Generation and Persona Building

STOIC used OpenAI models to automate the creation of web articles, social media comments, and fictional personas. The operation's technical approach included:

  • Content Creation: Generating web articles and social media replies across X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
  • Persona Development: Creating fictional bios and personas based on variables such as age, gender, and location.
  • Research Attempts: Using models to research individuals in Israel who commented publicly on the Histadrut trade union. OpenAI noted that the models refused to provide personal information in response to these prompts.
  • Visual Identity: Utilizing Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to create profile pictures. OpenAI observed that multiple accounts often shared the same GAN-generated image, and in some cases, multiple accounts with identical pictures replied to the same post.

Scope and Topical Campaigns

Operation Zero Zeno was organized into several topical clusters targeting different regions and narratives:

  • Gaza and Religious Relations: Most campaigns focused on the Gaza conflict and relations between Jewish and Muslim faiths.
  • Canada: Content criticized what the campaign described as "radical Islamists" in Canada.
  • United States: Activity focused on universities, accusing pro-Palestinian protesters of promoting terrorism and antisemitism.
  • Qatar: Narratives portrayed Qatari investments in the US as a threat to the American way of life.
  • Israel: Hebrew-language posts praised the leadership and organization of the Histadrut trade unions.
  • India: In May, the network generated comments criticizing the ruling BJP party and praising the opposition Congress party. OpenAI disrupted this specific activity within 24 hours of its start.
  • UNRWA: Early research identified the network criticizing the UN relief agency in Palestine.

Distribution Strategy and Tactics

The network employed several tactics to maintain visibility and simulate engagement:

  • Cross-Platform Deployment: Content was posted on four websites posing as activist groups: uc4canada.com, the-good-samaritan.com, ufnews.io, and nonagenda.com.
  • Artificial Amplification: Fake accounts were used to comment on the operation's own posts to create a false impression of audience engagement.
  • Topic Flipping: Some accounts shifted focus between different regional campaigns (e.g., moving from Canada-focused content to India or the US).
  • Irrelevant Engagement: The network posted AI-generated replies to prominent Western figures that bore no relation to the original posts, such as posting about Qatari investments in reply to a post about Donald Trump's music preferences.

Impact Assessment

Operation Zero Zeno is classified as a Category 2 operation on the Breakout Scale, meaning it was active across multiple platforms and websites but failed to achieve significant amplification by organic users. OpenAI reports that the activity attracted little to no engagement outside of its own inauthentic accounts. For example, a YouTube channel associated with the Canada campaign had posted one video that received zero views as of April 25, 2024.

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