OpenAI said Friday that it had removed accounts of an Iranian group for using the ChatGPT chatbot to generate content aimed at influencing the US presidential election and other issues.

The operation, known as Storm-2035, used ChatGPT to generate content on topics including commentary on candidates on both sides of the US election, the conflict in Gaza and Israel’s presence at the Olympics. The content was then shared across social media accounts and websites, Open AI said.

Research from the Microsoft-backed AI company found that ChatGPT was being used to generate longer articles and shorter comments on social media.

According to OpenAI, the operation does not appear to have resulted in meaningful public engagement.

Most of the identified social media posts received little to no likes, shares or comments. Additionally, the company saw no evidence of web articles being shared on social media.

The accounts no longer have access to OpenAI’s services and the company continues to monitor activity for possible further attempts to violate its policies, the company said.

Earlier in August, a Microsoft threat intelligence report reported that the Iranian network Storm-2035, which consists of four websites posing as news organizations, is actively engaging with American voter groups on the opposite side of the political spectrum.

Engagement was built on “polarizing messages on issues such as the US presidential candidates, LGBTQ rights and the Israel-Hamas conflict,” the report said.

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump are locked in a neck-and-neck race ahead of the November 5 presidential election.

The AI ​​company said in May it had disrupted five covert influence operations that attempted to use its models for “deceptive activities” on the internet.