AI 'warning shots' make Beijing turn its focus to national security risks

While AI researchers in the United States fret over out-of-control superintelligence wiping out humanity, Chinese policymakers have until now been more focused on immediate risks, from deepfakes to child safety. But the alarming hacking ability of top artificial intelligence models is leading Beijing to see the dangers in a new light, with the spy agency chief warning this week that the technology could jeopardise national security. The potential vulnerability of Chinese mega-app WeChat was also revealed recently when a small team of programmers in California said it had used AI to build a cyberattack “worm” that, if unleashed, could easily compromise millions of WeChat accounts. “There are more similarities than differences when it comes to AI safety issues” in China and the United States, said Kevin Xu, founder of US-based technology hedge fund Interconnected Capital.

But unlike in America, these “don’t get litigated or go viral in public in China”, Xu told AFP . Nevertheless, the cybersecurity impact of AI agent bots acting without human oversight “would rank very high among the Chinese government’s biggest concerns”. As the topic grabs global headlines, the pressure is on for President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump to discuss tackling the AI threats to both countries at in-person talks on Thursday — despite their rivalry in the field. Both powers are “developing a more realistic and shared understanding of these risks, thereby heightening the sense of urgency” to work together, Sun Chenghao of Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy told AFP . Cooperation on shared safety evaluations for AI models or alert systems when crises emerge might be undermined by the fierce competition, however. “We’re leading China in AI… and…