The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has voiced concerns about the potential misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) by China to enhance its alleged spying efforts.
What Happened: As per a report from The Wall Street Journal on Monday, U.S. intelligence agencies are worried about China’s use of AI for the collection and storage of American data on a never-seen-before scale. Earlier this year, FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed that AI could serve as an “amplifier” for China’s alleged hacking activities.
China has repeatedly rejected these accusations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has even called the U.S. the “biggest hacking empire and global cyber thief” worldwide.
The FBI has lately been focusing more on safeguarding influential chip manufacturers essential for AI programs instead of AI companies. This is attributed to the rapid development of AI technology, which could make stolen systems outdated in a few months.
See Also: Tencent Stock Takes $54B Hit As China Introduces New Online Gaming Regulations
U.S. intelligence analysts have long been wary of China’s alleged large-scale collection of hacked personal data of American officials and business executives. Brad Smith, President of Microsoft Corp, believes that AI could effectively analyze this vast data pool, which is too large for human scrutiny.
Smith used the 2021 China-linked attack on Microsoft’s email servers as an example of AI-enhanced targeting but also noted AI’s potential as a defense tool against such attacks.
Why It Matters: Tensions between the U.S. and China over AI technology have been escalating. In June 2023, the Biden administration took steps to gain an edge in the AI race against China.
Earlier this month, the U.S. government scrutinized Nvidia’s new AI accelerators for the Chinese market to ensure no breach of export controls.
Read Next: China’s iPhone Ban Shakes Market As Apple Struggles To Lift Stock Above The $200 Milestone
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