OpenAI says it has blocked accounts associated with “Dark Clark,” a sophisticated influence operation run largely from Russia and aimed at audiences in Latin America. Rather than mass-producing generic posts, the operators used ChatGPT as a translator, editor, analyst and administrative assistant.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported the findings on Monday, October 19. OpenAI linked the activity to a group known as Politologiya or La Compania, which investigators described as connected to influence structures that emerged from assets once associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin.

At the center of the operation was a purported Social Research Center managed under the fabricated identity “Mia Clark.” The organization recruited genuine researchers, journalists and other professionals in Latin America, who apparently believed they were contributing to a legitimate international research platform.

The network also mounted deceptive campaigns in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia during 2026, including forged school directives, synthetic audio and false government notices. Some narratives reached established media or prompted responses from public officials, leading OpenAI to rate the campaign at category five on the six-level IO Breakout Scale.