OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. File Photo Dado Ruvic/Reuters

Turkistan Times, 8 October 2025 - Emerging evidence suggests that Chinese state-linked actors may be attempting to leverage ChatGPT and related AI tools to surveil Uyghurs and other perceived “high-risk” individuals, according to a recent security report by OpenAI. The revelations, first highlighted in a detailed Firstpost report and reinforced by CNN’s coverage, have reignited global concern over Beijing’s expanding surveillance architecture in East Turkistan (Xinjiang) and the potential weaponization of generative AI.

Surveillance Through AI: What the Reports Reveal

The OpenAI report cited by both outlets details a case where a user “likely connected to a [Chinese] government entity” asked ChatGPT to draft a proposal for a system that would track travel movements of Uyghur individuals and other “high-risk” groups. (Firstpost)

In another instance, a Chinese-speaking user sought assistance from ChatGPT to create promotional materials for software that could monitor major social-media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook for politically or religiously sensitive content. OpenAI says both accounts have since been banned.

According to CNN’s report, OpenAI’s internal moderation systems flagged the suspicious prompts, triggering a deeper investigation. CNN further notes that Western intelligence analysts see such activity as part of a broader pattern of experimentation by state-linked operators seeking to use AI for censorship, surveillance, and disinformation rather than for open innovation.

Ben Nimmo, principal investigator at OpenAI, told CNN:

“There’s a push within the People’s Republic of China to get better at using artificial intelligence for large-scale things like surveillance and monitoring. It’s not new — they’ve just realized AI can make them faster and more efficient.”

East Turkistan: The Context of Control

The reports gain gravity when set against the backdrop of East Turkistan, officially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where Chinese authorities have implemented a pervasive surveillance state targeting Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim minorities.

Since 2017, human-rights groups and numerous governments have documented mass internment, biometric tracking, facial-recognition policing, and forced labor across the region. In 2021, the U.S. State Department officially declared that China’s policies in East Turkistan constitute genocide and crimes against humanity, while Congress passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) to block goods produced through coerced labor.

In that context, claims that AI chatbots might now assist in population monitoring appear as a disturbing next phase in the evolution of China’s digital authoritarianism.

Beijing’s Response: “Groundless Slanders”

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C., quoted by both CNN and Firstpost, dismissed the OpenAI report as “baseless” and an example of “groundless slanders against China.”

“China is rapidly building an AI governance system with distinct national characteristics,” said embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu, emphasizing that Beijing’s approach “balances development and security” and features “innovation, inclusiveness and strict ethical guidelines.”

Beijing points to recent laws on algorithmic services, data-security regulation, and generative AI oversight as proof of responsible governance. Critics, however, say these frameworks merely institutionalize state control, ensuring that technology remains subordinate to Party interests.

The Logic of AI Misuse

Analysts interviewed by CNN note that large-language models are attractive to state security agencies for practical reasons:

• Scalability: AI tools can process huge text datasets, enabling automated social-media screening and keyword flagging.

• Ease of use: Officials without technical backgrounds can generate reports, proposals, or propaganda with simple prompts.

• Cost efficiency: Generative models lower operational costs compared to developing bespoke surveillance software.

• Plausible deniability: Because tasks appear generic, malicious use can be disguised as ordinary data analysis.

The Broader Stakes

While there is no conclusive evidence that China has already deployed ChatGPT-style systems for mass surveillance, experts argue the intent and experimentation themselves are warning signs. The integration of AI into repressive infrastructures in East Turkistan would deepen existing violations of privacy, belief, and cultural freedom.

The Firstpost article underlines that China is not alone: OpenAI also detected misuse attempts by Russian and North Korean actors refining phishing campaigns through ChatGPT. Yet, in China’s case, the moral and political stakes are heightened by its record in East Turkistan.

Looking Ahead

The challenge now extends beyond one company. Should AI developers restrict access by geography or government affiliation? Should export-control regimes cover generative-AI systems alongside advanced chips and algorithms?

For human-rights advocates, the answer is clear: AI accountability must include protection for communities already under digital siege. As OpenAI’s findings and CNN’s reporting suggest, the next frontier of oppression may not come from new hardware — but from lines of code and text, invisibly powering control over millions in East Turkistan.