Chinese intelligence warns AI poses threat to national security

China’s Minister of State Security, Chen Yixin, has warned that the rapid development of artificial intelligence could threaten the country’s political, institutional, and ideological security, in one of the most detailed assessments yet of the risks Beijing sees from this fast-evolving technology.

In an article published Sunday in the official journal “China Cyberspace,” Chen said that the misuse of AI by China’s adversaries could “threaten political, institutional, and ideological security,” according to Bloomberg.

He added that AI is becoming increasingly capable of identifying system vulnerabilities, creating malicious software, or developing programs that could exploit those weaknesses.

Among the top risks facing Beijing, Chen pointed to the possibility that what he described as “hostile forces” could use AI to launch “public opinion wars” and “cognitive warfare.”

He wrote that deepfake technologies, AI-generated texts and images, and bot accounts on social media platforms could be used to fabricate political rumors, spread harmful information, and sow social divisions.

The minister also warned of AI’s growing ability to detect and exploit vulnerabilities in digital systems.

Chen explained that internet browsing tools, data collection and analysis technologies, and AI-based profiling systems could enhance foreign intelligence agencies’ ability to gather sensitive information, including government data, trade secrets, and personal details.

Chen further cautioned that countries with an edge in AI could use national security concerns to impose technology restrictions, “monopolize” industry standards, and create closed technological ecosystems based on proprietary software.

This perspective aligns with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s stance against excessively broad definitions of national security, a position he expressed in a speech in July.

Chen’s remarks come as debate intensifies in the US tech sector over the risks posed by the rapid development of advanced AI systems.

On Saturday, Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei wrote in a lengthy article that AI capabilities are advancing faster than the safeguards designed to limit their risks, calling for greater coordination between tech companies, the US, and other democratic nations.

OpenAI has also called for steps to mitigate the risks associated with developing advanced AI models.

The Chinese article does not indicate that Chen’s comments were a response to these calls, nor did the minister reference the positions of Anthropic or OpenAI.