Chen Yixin, head of China’s Ministry of State Security, published an article under his name warning that the rapid development and deployment of AI presents significant risks to China’s national security. Chen said AI is reshaping the global economy, power structure, innovation, and social governance, and argued that China must seize the opportunities while establishing safeguards against emerging threats.
Chen identified six major areas of concern:
- Systematic threat to China’s political and ideological security. As of June 2026, China had more than 500 million AI-product users, with daily token usage exceeding 140 trillion. Chen warned that hostile forces and others with ulterior motives could misuse generative AI technologies—including deepfake audio and video, AI-generated text and images, and automated online accounts—to cheaply and rapidly produce political rumors, spread harmful information, and incite social division, using “public opinion warfare” and “cognitive warfare” to directly threaten China’s political, institutional, and ideological security.
- AI-enabled cyberattacks that could automate vulnerability discovery and malicious software development.
- Increased risks of espionage, data theft, and personal-information leakage.
- Technology controls and closed ecosystems that could widen disparities in global AI development.
- Disruptions to social governance caused by algorithmic bias, data poisoning, and unclear accountability.
- Fundamental transformation of military warfare as AI becomes increasingly involved in intelligence analysis, decision-making, target identification, and battlefield operations.
Chen proposed seven measures to strengthen AI governance:
- Maintain Party leadership.
- Improve cross-government coordination.
- Strengthen risk monitoring and early-warning systems.
- Increase research into core AI technologies and computing chips.
- Improve legal safeguards.
- Expand public education on AI security risks.
- Deepen international cooperation.
Source: People’s Forum, September 14, 2026
https://www.rmlt.com.cn/2026/0914/755773.shtml