Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has fallen prey to a sophisticated smear campaign powered by Artificial Intelligence.
According to recent reports, unknown individuals have been utilizing ChatGPT to spread false rumors that Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The use of ChatGPT to propagate these false claims has raised questions about the potential misuse of AI and the role of technology in spreading misinformation.
Binance Denies Claims Of CCP Affiliation, Blames ChatGPT For Rumors
In an interview with Fortune magazine, Binance revealed that it has been inundated with inquiries regarding the alleged affiliation of CZ with the CCP. The company has asserted that these claims are utterly unfounded, and someone has been utilizing ChatGPT to fabricate them.
The CCP is the founding and ruling political party of the People’s Republic of China. Since its establishment in 1921, it has been a driving force behind China’s political, economic, and social policies.
Image: Finbold
Despite Binance’s repeated denials of any association with the CCP, rumors have persisted, causing concern and confusion within the crypto community.
To all the crypto and AI sleuths out there, here is the ChatGPT thread if someone wants to dig in. As you’ll see ChatGPT pulls this from a fake LinkedIn profile and a non-existent @Forbes article. We can’t find any evidence of this story nor the LinkedIn page ever existing. pic.twitter.com/szLaix3nza
— Patrick Hillmann 🤷🏻♂️👉 (@PRHillmann) May 1, 2023
ChatGPT’s Alleged Evidence Of CZ’s CCP Affiliation Debunked As False
In a recent development, Binance’s Chief Strategy Officer, Patrick Hillman, has publicly criticized ChatGPT for its role in spreading false information about the company’s CEO. Hillman revealed that the AI-powered tool had extracted information from a fake LinkedIn profile of CZ, as well as a non-existent Forbes article, to create the impression of a link between CZ and the CCP.
ChatGPT’s claims that CZ has ties to the CCP have been debunked as false. The AI-powered tool cited two URLs as evidence to support its claims, but upon further investigation, both URLs were found to be non-existent.
The first URL pointed to a LinkedIn page that did not match CZ’s official profile and did not exist. The Binance CEO’s actual LinkedIn profile did not indicate any connection to the CCP or his employment history with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) prior to 2001.
Crypto maintains total market cap of $1.14 trillion on the daily chart at TradingView.com
The second URL purported to be a Forbes article titled “Crypto King, Meet the Quiet Crypto Crusader With [a] $700 Million War Chest,” attributed to former Forbes author, Pamela Ambler.
However, the article was found not to exist, leading to speculation that the entire disinformation campaign was a coordinated effort to damage Binance’s reputation and credibility.
A Recurring Issue
In a similar vein, Binance has been targeted in the past with allegations of ties to the Chinese government. In September 2022, Zhao categorically denied the accusations that Binance executive Guangying Chen was an agent of the Chinese government.
Furthermore, he made it clear that Binance is not incorporated in China, further refuting any claims of affiliations with the CCP or the Chinese government.
-Featured image from Getty