OpenAI blocks ChatGPT accounts linked to North Korean IT worker fraud
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OpenAI said today it's banned ChatGPT accounts that appear to be tied to the ongoing North Korean IT worker schemes that are plaguing nearly every Fortune 500 company.
Why it matters: The new findings suggest that North Korea is advancing its use of AI tools in its yearslong pervasive scheme designed to help fund the regime's missile program.
The big picture: North Korean IT workers have for years posed as U.S. citizens to land remote jobs at Western tech companies, generating revenue for the government and, in some cases, collecting IP and sensitive data.
Zoom in: OpenAI has found evidence that these banned accounts used ChatGPT to streamline every step of the fraud, including drafting cover letters, solving coding assignments, configuring VPNs and video spoofing tools, and even writing scripts to keep laptops active and appear online.
- The actors also attempted to get ChatGPT to automate resumes en masse based on specific job descriptions, skill templates and U.S. persona profiles they've created.
- They also used ChatGPT to help recruit people in the United States to run so-called laptop farms, where North Korean workers house their company-issued laptops.
The intrigue: In its February report, OpenAI had only seen evidence of AI being used to build fake identities.
- This time, the company says it found signs of workflow automation and outsourcing — a sign of operational maturity.
Yes, but: OpenAI said it could not confirm the success of the operations or precisely where the users were based. But the tactics closely resemble known North Korean schemes.
Go deeper: North Korean scammers land jobs in U.S. with help from Chinese companies
