China’s top intelligence official has warned that artificial intelligence could threaten the Chinese Communist Party’s grip on power, calling for tighter government control as the technology rapidly advances.
Chen Yixin, head of China’s Ministry of State Security, echoed growing international concerns over the speed of AI development. He said the technology could undermine political stability and expose weaknesses in China’s cyber defenses.
“Artificial intelligence is penetrating all aspects of human society at an unprecedented speed, breadth, and depth, profoundly reshaping the global economic structure, power dynamics, innovation paradigms, and social governance logic,” Chen wrote in the state-run China Cyberspace Magazine.
“We must recognize the opportunities and seize the initiative, while also understanding the risks and adhering to the bottom line,” he added.
While many Western debates focus on whether AI could develop consciousness or ultimately endanger humanity, Chen’s concerns centered on foreign adversaries and other opponents of the Chinese state using the technology for “large-scale espionage.”
The Chinese security chief singled out US technology companies and their AI systems as potential threats to national security and the Communist Party’s political standing.
Chen warned that AI could make it easier to produce convincing fake videos and audio capable of spreading propaganda against the ruling party—despite Beijing’s broader opposition to deepfake content.
He also cautioned that AI could significantly reduce the expertise and expense required to launch a new generation of cyberattacks targeting China’s critical infrastructure.
“Some countries and organizations possess the capability to rapidly and in large quantities discover vulnerabilities, automatically connect attack paths, and complete complex hacking tasks, drastically lowering the technical barriers and costs of launching cyberattacks and posing serious risks to China’s critical information infrastructure,” Chen wrote.
Even as he outlined those risks, Chen argued that China must continue pursuing its AI ambitions—but do so carefully—or risk falling behind the United States in the global technology race.
“Whoever can achieve more refined perception, more accurate judgment, and more precise strikes through algorithms will gain the initiative on the battlefield,” Chen added.
President Trump addressed the growing debate after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged AI companies to slow the pace of development. Trump dismissed the warning as a “conspiracy” that could ultimately benefit China.
“There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China. WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
