The latest AI doomsayer is China’s intelligence boss

China's top state security official, Chen Yixin, has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could pose significant risks to the nation's ruling Communist Party. In an article published in China Cyberspace Magazine, a prominent publication of China's Cyberspace Administration, Chen argued that AI has become the primary arena for global technological competition and strategic rivalry among major powers.

He cited concerns over US sanctions and potential AI applications including detecting software vulnerabilities and attacking critical infrastructure, as well as the risk of stealing industrial and state secrets.

Chen also expressed worries about China's domestic users relying on foreign AI products to process sensitive information, potentially leading to large-scale data leaks. He attributed this issue to a lack of security awareness among the domestic population. Additionally, Chen believed that AI's "black box" algorithms and data poisoning could exacerbate social biases, undermine user trust, and create challenges in attributing responsibility for automatic decision-making.

The minister further warned that rapid AI development has outpaced traditional technology governance frameworks, rendering existing legal norms, ethical principles, and governance mechanisms ineffective. To address these challenges, Chen advocated for China to strengthen its national security system and capabilities in the AI era, ensuring the independent control of key core technologies and achieving a virtuous cycle of innovation and security through advanced laws and regulations.

Shortly after the article's publication, China's Cyberspace Administration released version 3.0 of the nation's AI Safety Governance Framework, emphasizing the importance of risk-controllable institutional mechanisms like regulatory sandboxes to facilitate error correction during technology development. China also pledged to prioritize AI safety, take timely measures to address any risks threatening individual rights, public interests, national security, and human survival.

This starkly contrasts with US President Donald Trump's dismissal of AI safety concerns as a "hoax," suggesting US President Barack Obama had sufficient intelligence to handle AI risks, backed by a "strong and smart" (high IQ) presidency.