OpenAI’s super PAC is funding an AI-generated news site that publishes articles targeting critics of the AI industry, according to modelrepublic.org. The site, called The Wire by Acutus, uses AI bots as reporters, including one named Michael Chen who sought comments on an AI bill in Tennessee. The discovery was made public on April 24, 2026.
The investigation began when Nathan Calvin, vice president and general counsel of advocacy group Encode, received an unusual interview request from the AI-generated reporter Michael Chen. The email contained a pre-shared article title and a highly loaded framing, with only a written Q&A format offered. Searches found no public record of Michael Chen, raising suspicions about the authenticity of the reporter and the site’s content generation methods.
The funding links trace back to Targeted Victory, a firm involved in OpenAI’s $125 million political operation. This connection suggests the AI-generated news site is part of a broader strategy to influence public opinion and legislative processes related to AI. The use of AI bots as reporters to advance a political agenda highlights emerging ethical and transparency challenges in AI-driven media.
The Wire by Acutus and its AI reporters were first identified in April 2026, with modelrepublic.org publishing the findings on April 24. The case underscores growing concerns about AI’s role in shaping news narratives and political discourse through automated content creation.