China’s spy agency has warned that AI could pose a risk to the country’s political and social security, signalling growing concern in Beijing that rapid advances in the technology could be exploited against the country. In its first public statement on AI, the Ministry of State Security on Sunday detailed the threats the technology presented, including to China’s cyber defences, sensitive data and military apparatus.

"Hostile forces and people with ulterior motives are abusing generative AI technologies such as deepfake audio and video, AI-generated text and images, and ‘intelligent troll armies’ to cheaply and on a mass scale fabricate political rumours, disseminate harmful information and incite divisive sentiments," said state security minister Chen Yixin.

"These activities constitute an attack on public opinion and cognitive warfare against China, directly threatening our political security, institutional security and ideological security," he added. The statement marks a significant expansion of Beijing’s public discussion of AI safety. Typically, the debate has been led by the main regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, and focused on regulatory and technical concerns.