Beijing — China’s top internal security official, Minister of State Security Chen Yixin, has issued a stark warning about the growing threat posed by artificial intelligence to national security. In a recently published article, Chen outlined how foreign intelligence services are deploying advanced AI technologies to conduct large-scale data collection against China.
According to Chen, these overseas agencies are leveraging tools such as intelligent web crawlers, automated data-mining systems, and profiling algorithms to systematically acquire sensitive information. The targets include key national data, commercially valuable trade secrets, and personal privacy records of ordinary Chinese citizens. The minister described the tactics as part of a coordinated effort to undermine China’s sovereignty and economic interests through digital means.
The warning comes amid intensifying geopolitical tensions and a global race in AI development. China has positioned itself as a leading power in artificial intelligence, with substantial state investment in research, deployment, and regulation. Beijing’s recent push for tighter oversight of domestic AI models is seen by analysts as partly driven by concerns over both outbound technological influence and inbound espionage risks.
Chen’s remarks reinforce the Chinese government’s long-standing emphasis on cybersecurity and data protection as pillars of national security. In recent years, China has enacted a series of laws governing data localization, cross-border data transfers, and critical infrastructure protection. The latest alert underscores the leadership’s determination to treat AI-enabled surveillance and data harvesting as a frontline security challenge.
Experts note that the line between legitimate commercial data analysis and state-sponsored espionage is increasingly blurred by AI capabilities. Foreign intelligence services around the world have been known to exploit open-source information, but the scale and automation possible with modern AI represent a qualitative shift. The warning is likely to accelerate internal reviews of how Chinese institutions safeguard their digital assets and may influence future policies on AI governance and international data flows.
As China continues to export its own AI technologies while seeking to shield its data environment, officials like Chen are signaling that the battle for information security will be fought as much with code as with traditional intelligence methods.
