OpenAI has banned accounts that utilized its models to generate short English comments and long-form Spanish news articles critical of the US. This activity, consistent with mainland Chinese business hours, saw Spanish articles published by Latin American news sites, often attributed to an individual linked to Jilin Yousen Culture Communication Co, Ltd. The operation, dubbed "Sponsored Discontent," also mirrored tactics of the "Spamouflage" influence campaign by criticizing dissident Cai Xia with content posted on X.

Beyond criticizing Cai Xia, the actor generated Spanish articles focusing on social and political divisions in the US, including inequality, political violence, and criticisms of US foreign policies. These articles were often published by Latin American news websites, particularly in Peru, Mexico, and Ecuador, sometimes on the same day they were generated. This marks the first observed instance of a likely Chinese influence actor successfully publishing articles in mainstream Latin American outlets, potentially through financial arrangements as indicated by "sponsored" content and translated receipts.

While the social media content targeting Cai Xia showed minimal engagement, the successful placement of long-form articles in mainstream Latin American media represents a significant escalation. OpenAI assesses this as a Category 4 (breakout to mainstream media) influence operation due to the wide readership of the targeted news websites, even if the precise engagement is unquantifiable. The operation's scope included criticisms of both major US parties and various social issues.