عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

China’s Spy Chief Warns of National Security Risks from AI

People visit the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, July 18, 2026. (Reuters)
People visit the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, July 18, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

China’s Spy Chief Warns of National Security Risks from AI

People visit the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, July 18, 2026. (Reuters)
People visit the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, July 18, 2026. (Reuters)

The head of China's spy agency has warned that artificial intelligence endangers the country's national security, with foreign powers potentially using the technology to threaten social order.

"Hostile forces" were abusing generative AI technologies to "fabricate political rumors and spread harmful information", Minister of State Security Chen Yixin wrote in an article published online on Sunday.

"They launch public opinion wars and cognitive warfare against China, directly threatening our political security, institutional security and ideological security," he said.

The warning comes as Chinese leader Xi Jinping is due to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this month, with AI governance and safety set to be part of their discussions as calls mount for greater oversight of the technology.

US tech leaders have also called for slowing AI advances.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned on Saturday of the "reckless" speed of AI technology development, as worries mount over the risks of superintelligent computer systems.

OpenAI boss Sam Altman said he agreed with Amodei's assessment.

But Chen warned that AI was now "the main battleground for global technological competition and a new track for major power strategic rivalry".

He did not mention existential risks or putting the brakes on technological advances, but singled out Anthropic's Claude Mythos and OpenAI's ChatGPT-5.5-Cyber for their advanced hacking capabilities that potentially "pose serious risks to China's critical information infrastructure".

"Foreign intelligence agencies are deeply using technologies such as intelligent web crawlers, intelligent data mining, and intelligent profiling analysis to extensively collect and acquire sensitive information such as key national data, trade secrets, and citizens' personal privacy," Chen said.

The US-Iran war has also demonstrated AI's key role in the military, with better technology offering battlefield advantages, he said.

China must "ensure independent control of key core technologies" -- including the advanced computer chips vital to training AI models -- to secure its technology sovereignty, Chen wrote.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Boat with Migrants Stranded in Southern Greece with 1 Dead and 20 Missing

File photo: Migrants of African origin trying to flee to Europe are crammed on board of a small boat, as Tunisian coast guards prepare to transfer them onto their vessel, at sea between Tunisia and Italy, on August 10, 2023. (AFP)
File photo: Migrants of African origin trying to flee to Europe are crammed on board of a small boat, as Tunisian coast guards prepare to transfer them onto their vessel, at sea between Tunisia and Italy, on August 10, 2023. (AFP)
TT
TT

Boat with Migrants Stranded in Southern Greece with 1 Dead and 20 Missing

File photo: Migrants of African origin trying to flee to Europe are crammed on board of a small boat, as Tunisian coast guards prepare to transfer them onto their vessel, at sea between Tunisia and Italy, on August 10, 2023. (AFP)
File photo: Migrants of African origin trying to flee to Europe are crammed on board of a small boat, as Tunisian coast guards prepare to transfer them onto their vessel, at sea between Tunisia and Italy, on August 10, 2023. (AFP)

A boat carrying migrants from Libya to the island of Crete took on water and became stranded, leaving at least one dead while 20 are believed to be missing, authorities in Greece said.

The Greek coast guard said 51 people were rescued from the site early Monday, some 75 kilometers (47 miles) south of Crete. Patrol boats, a helicopter and a drone as well as commercial vessels were involved in the search assisted by the European Union border protection agency, Frontex, said The Associated Press.

The perilous route across the Mediterranean from eastern Libya to Crete has become one of the busiest into Europe for illegal migration, as their numbers on other routes are broadly lower.

World

Russian Strike on Ukraine Warehouse Kills 3

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out a fire following a Russian air attack in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out a fire following a Russian air attack in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
TT
TT

Russian Strike on Ukraine Warehouse Kills 3

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out a fire following a Russian air attack in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out a fire following a Russian air attack in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

A Russian strike on a warehouse in Ukraine's northeastern Chernigiv region killed three people on Monday, local police said, the latest in a wave of Russian attacks aimed at Ukrainian logistics.

Since June, Russian strikes have destroyed or damaged dozens of warehouses and distribution centers in Ukraine, many of them supplying Ukraine's largest supermarket chains and retailers.

The strikes have led to shortages in some stores and prompted fears of price rises.

Ukrainian police did not give details about the business owner or weapon used in Monday's attack.

"Earlier today, Russian forces attacked the warehouses of an agricultural business in the town of Pryluky. Preliminary reports indicate three people were killed and seven wounded," Ukrainian police said.

An image published by police showed a mound of bricks and rubble in front of a building, its roof partially destroyed.

Russia did not immediately comment, but has in the past denied targeting civilian infrastructure.

Pryluky is a town of about 50,000 people some 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have intensified long-range strikes on each other in recent months, with diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the four-and-a-half-year war deadlocked.

World

Road Crash Involving Multiple Vehicles in South Africa Kills at Least 21 People

The remains of a mini bus taxi on a police tow truck at the scene of a fatal crash of 13 schoolchildren who perished ​when their minibus collided with a truck, in Johannesburg, South Africa, January 19, 2026. REUTERS/Shiraaz Mohamed
The remains of a mini bus taxi on a police tow truck at the scene of a fatal crash of 13 schoolchildren who perished ​when their minibus collided with a truck, in Johannesburg, South Africa, January 19, 2026. REUTERS/Shiraaz Mohamed
TT
TT

Road Crash Involving Multiple Vehicles in South Africa Kills at Least 21 People

The remains of a mini bus taxi on a police tow truck at the scene of a fatal crash of 13 schoolchildren who perished ​when their minibus collided with a truck, in Johannesburg, South Africa, January 19, 2026. REUTERS/Shiraaz Mohamed
The remains of a mini bus taxi on a police tow truck at the scene of a fatal crash of 13 schoolchildren who perished ​when their minibus collided with a truck, in Johannesburg, South Africa, January 19, 2026. REUTERS/Shiraaz Mohamed

Two minibus taxis collided head-on and a third vehicle crashed into them on one of South Africa's main highways, killing at least 21 people and leaving several seriously injured, authorities said Monday.

The crash on Sunday night in the Western Cape Province took place between the small towns of Prince Albert and Leeu-Gamka, around 380 kilometers (236 miles) east of Cape Town, the Road Traffic Management Corporation said.

The agency added that the death toll “may change as emergency services and authorities in the Western Cape continue their assessment of the scene.”

Minibus taxis are the main mode of public transport for millions of people in South Africa and are often involved in fatal collisions. Two separate crashes involving minibus taxis in January left at least 25 people dead, including 14 children.

Three of the victims in Sunday night's crash were rushed to a hospital but were declared dead on arrival there, The Associated Press quoted police as saying.

Authorities believe the crash started with the two minibus taxis colliding head-on, after which an SUV crashed into them, the Western Cape Mobility department said.

The N1 highway was closed at the scene of the crash, while an investigation was opened by the Road Traffic Management Corporation.