Taiwan says AI agents used in cyberattacks targeting island

Taiwan reported on Thursday that overseas hackers employed artificial intelligence agents to carry out cyberattacks on the island's government agencies in July. The Ministry of Digital Affairs disclosed the incident, though they refrained from specifying the origin of the attackers. China maintains that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory and has ramped up military, political, and diplomatic pressure on the island in recent years.

Taipei also claims Beijing utilizes "greyzone" tactics, including cyberattacks, to harass the island. The cyberattacks commenced in July and the affected agencies have since completed their response measures, according to the ministry. The attacks leveraged a "hybrid model" combining AI agents, such as the open-source AI agent platform OpenClaw, to expedite the attacks with their rapid chaining of multiple techniques, low cost, and large scale.

Chinese tech firms have been eager to capitalize on the popularity of OpenClaw, offering simplified installation and affordable coding plans to enable users to host its agents on cloud servers. The digital affairs ministry's statement came after the Financial Times published an article this week identifying Taiwan as the target of an autonomous AI attack allegedly orchestrated by Chinese hackers.

The FT, citing researchers from Israeli AI company Dream, revealed that hackers utilized open-source AI agents to construct an autonomous tool capable of mapping 21 government systems, exploring vulnerabilities, and altering tactics when obstructed. This marks the first time multiple AI agents have been attributed to a cyberattack, according to Kenny Huang, chairman of Taiwan Network Information Center, an internet services firm.

Many nations, particularly the United States, have expressed concern over alleged Beijing-backed hacking targeting their governments, militaries, and businesses. China has refuted these claims, insisting it opposes and strictly addresses all forms of cyberattacks.