China’s intelligence chief calls for global AI rules and guardrails

China’s Minister of State Security Chen Yixin has called for global regulation and guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI), describing the technology as a “new arena for strategic rivalry among major powers.” TechRadar reports that he made the remarks in an article published by China Cyberspace, a journal run by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Chen outlined five risks linked to AI development. He said hostile forces could use AI to generate fake news and harmful information, create public discontent, and deepen social divisions. He also warned that more capable models could lower the barrier to disruptive cyberattacks against critical information infrastructure.

• Foreign intelligence agencies could use web crawlers, data mining, and profiling to collect sensitive information, including state data, business secrets, and personal information.
• People could recklessly share sensitive data with foreign AI tools, potentially causing catastrophic leaks.
• Open-source agents such as OpenClaw may contain vulnerabilities that allow remotely triggered data spills.
• A small group of major players could divide the global AI supply chain and create monopolies around closed-source ecosystems.
• Early-warning systems and public advisories could identify foreign nation-state actors using AI for espionage, data theft, and disinformation.

Chen did not name specific countries. The South China Morning Post suggested that his remarks may have indirectly referred to the United States, but that interpretation remains unconfirmed.