China spy chief warns AI threatens party rule as Beijing rejects US curbs
China has rejected calls for the US to curb its artificial intelligence industry as “fearmongering”, even as its top intelligence official warned that rapidly evolving AI could threaten the Communist Party’s political and ideological security.
Chen Yixin, head of China’s Ministry of State Security, accused “hostile forces and individuals with ulterior motives” of using AI to wage what he described as a “propaganda war and a cognitive war” against China, The Guardian reported.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryUS-CHINA AI RACEChen specifically cited US AI models including Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s GPT-5.5-Cyber, claiming they had been weaponised and represented emerging cybersecurity threats, according to The Guardian.
The warning came after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a global slowdown in AI development while urging Washington to prevent China from gaining a technological lead.
In an essay published over the weekend, Amodei warned that a Chinese lead in AI could pose a “grave danger” to the US and the wider world. He argued that advanced AI could potentially allow the Chinese Communist Party to gain a military advantage over democracies.
Amodei also predicted that swarms of AI “agents” could take over the internet within six to 12 months unless researchers agree to slow the pace of development.CHINA REJECTS ‘FEARMONGERING’
China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the confrontational approach and called for countries to cooperate on AI governance.
“Fearmongering, confrontation and vicious competition will only disrupt the process of global AI governance, which serves no one’s interest,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a press conference on Monday.
Amodei said global efforts to control the pace of AI would require cooperation with China, but argued that democracies should maintain as large a technological lead over authoritarian governments as possible.
China’s state-run Global Times also criticised his proposals, describing them as a veiled attempt to contain China’s AI industry.
The newspaper said in an editorial published on Sunday that the essay contained “containment provisions targeting China” and amounted to a “cold war playbook” for the AI sector.AI SAFETY CONCERNS IN BEIJING
Despite rejecting calls to contain its AI industry, Beijing has also expressed concerns about the risks posed by rapidly advancing artificial intelligence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a conference in July that AI should “always remain under human control”, according to The Guardian.
Other technology leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind chair Demis Hassabis and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, have expressed general support for Amodei’s essay, although they have not specifically endorsed his proposals concerning China.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has dismissed concerns over AI safeguards. On Monday, Trump said the only “guardrails” AI needed were a “STRONG AND SMART” president.
The US and Chinese leaders are expected to discuss AI governance, among other issues, at a planned meeting on September 24, The Guardian reported.- EndsPublished By: Zafar ZaidiPublished On: Sep 15, 2026 03:53 IST
