WASHINGTON: X says 200 accounts from a suspected Chinese bot farm tried to shape US debate over AI data centres by posting about electricity prices, grid strain and industry profits.
The X Safety investigation identified about 200,000 suspected inauthentic Chinese accounts overall. Within that network, X said 200 posts could manipulate legitimate discussion about American AI and energy policy.
Some posts claimed AI data centres were raising household electricity costs or placing pressure on power grids. Others used AI-generated cartoons portraying data centre operators as profiting at the public’s expense.
However, X’s public statement did not establish that the campaign materially changed US public opinion. The platform also did not immediately detail the final action taken against every account in the wider network.
The findings follow similar activity that OpenAI identified in June. OpenAI said it banned a likely China-origin cluster that used ChatGPT to create posts criticising US data centres and AI infrastructure.
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However, OpenAI found no evidence that the campaign achieved meaningful reach outside its own activity. Meanwhile, US lawmakers have raised concerns over foreign efforts to influence AI infrastructure policy.
On June 4, House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and White House science advisers for information on suspected foreign influence campaigns targeting US AI development.
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Domestic opposition remains significant regardless of foreign influence. A University of Pennsylvania survey found 61% of Americans opposed new data centres in their area, up from 49% earlier in 2026. The nationally representative survey included 1,320 US adults.
