X has identified and dismantled a bot farm of roughly 200,000 accounts, with a subset spreading messaging designed to shape public opinion on American AI and energy policy. The platform’s Global Government Affairs team announced the discovery, stating that the accounts are suspected to have been created by Chinese operators.
According to the team, 200 of those accounts were posting content intended to manipulate an otherwise legitimate debate. The messaging focused on the impact of AI data centers on the electrical grid and household energy costs, amplifying negative sentiment across the platform.
How the Bot Farm Operated
The X Safety team said the flagged accounts pushed claims that AI data centers are driving up household electricity prices and straining the grid. Some posts included AI-generated cartoons depicting data-center operators enriching themselves at the public’s expense.
Several accounts used American-sounding names such as Thomas Jackson, Patricia Robinson, Sandra Thompson, and Kenneth Flores to appear as if they belonged to U.S. residents. These profiles shared news stories from legitimate outlets, including The Southern Maryland Chronicle, then layered on commentary and inflammatory imagery.
One example involved posts referencing PJM Interconnection raising its prices by 76% due to AI data center demand. The accounts paired that reporting with added commentary and sometimes AI-generated images intended to provoke an emotional reaction. A recurring narrative claimed that ordinary people bear the cost of data center construction while large tech companies profit.
Foreign Influence and the Data Center Debate
It remains unclear who sponsored or sanctioned the China-linked accounts. There have been prior reports of China-linked operations aimed at dividing U.S. public opinion on artificial intelligence, and this activity fits a broader pattern of nation-states using information to advance their interests.
Opposition to data center projects is not solely the product of foreign influence operations, however. A recent poll indicated that the primary driver of data center protests centers on local environmental and economic harms, as many projects have demonstrated tangible negative effects on surrounding communities.
The findings underscore two parallel realities: genuine local concerns about data center development and the ongoing threat of foreign intervention in domestic American politics. The internet, social media, and artificial intelligence have made these efforts easier to carry out.
X disclosed the takedown in an August 28, 2026 post from its Safety team, which detailed the investigation into the suspected Chinese inauthentic accounts.
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Image: tomshardware.com
