New Report Reveals: How China Integrates AI into Intelligent Automation for Online Intelligence Operations

A June 10 report by OpenAI uncovers how China is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) as a cornerstone of intelligent automation, blurring the lines between sensitive information gathering and public opinion influence in online operations. The findings highlight how commercial AI tools—part of a broader intelligent automation framework—are being harnessed to scale operations targeting government officials, military personnel, and researchers, with implications for both cybersecurity and industrial automation systems.

AI-Driven Tactics in Intelligent Automation Campaigns

The report details a Chinese operation where actors posed as geopolitical risk consultants, using OpenAI models to:

• Craft online personas with AI-generated biographies, mimicking the efficiency of intelligent automation in content creation.
• Analyze datasets and translate correspondence, demonstrating how AI can augment automation equipment typically used in industrial settings for covert intelligence purposes.

While such tactics are not entirely new, the integration of AI into these operations marks a shift toward more automated, scalable influence campaigns. For instance, the use of AI to generate personas on platforms like X mirrors how industrial automation streamlines manufacturing processes—except here, the “production line” is tailored for information warfare.

Proxy Networks and the Industrial Automation Connection

OpenAI’s analysis suggests the operators were likely contractors rather than state agents, using AI tools with “low-level expertise” in cyberattack prompts. This mirrors earlier findings by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), which exposed Chinese use of proxy firms to create fake consulting websites—tactics that could potentially intersect with industrial automation supply chains if used to target critical infrastructure.

Notably, the report highlights how AI-driven automation equipment—originally designed for legitimate tasks like data analysis—can be repurposed for intelligence operations. This includes using generative AI to craft convincing propaganda or translate materials, akin to how industrial automation systems are reprogrammed for different manufacturing needs.

Strengthening Defenses: From Cybersecurity to Industrial Automation Protection

To counter such threats, the report emphasizes the need for robust public-private partnerships between U.S. agencies and AI companies. This collaboration is critical for:

• Monitoring how adversaries exploit intelligent automation tools, such as tracking AI-generated content used in influence operations.
• Shielding industrial automation systems from malicious interference, as AI-driven tactics could potentially target power grids, manufacturing plants, or other critical infrastructure.
• Regulating automation equipment access to prevent misuse, ensuring that tools designed for legitimate industrial use do not become vectors for espionage.

While threat intelligence sharing exists, formalizing partnerships would allow AI firms to share data—such as adversary account details or attack patterns—with the government, creating a unified front against AI-enabled threats to both digital and industrial automation ecosystems.

“This report underscores the urgent need to view AI-driven intelligence operations through the lens of intelligent automation,” said a senior analyst at OpenAI. “Adversaries are treating information warfare like an industrial process, using automation equipment and scalable tactics. To defend against this, we must integrate cybersecurity measures with protections for industrial automation systems—because the next target could be a factory’s control network just as easily as a social media platform.”