{
  "id": 6684504,
  "title": "China, Iran among countries that have used AI to aid spying, Anthropic says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/china-iran-among-countries-that-have-used-ai-to-aid-spying-anthropic-6684504",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-11T02:07:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20260911/china-iran-among-countries-that-have-used-ai-to-aid-spying-anthropic-says"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "San Francisco — Anthropic revealed on Thursday that they had shut down several instances of state-backed spying operations utilizing their artificial intelligence (AI) models, and expressed concern over the growing utilization of AI by governments and state-linked entities to monitor ethnic minorities and dissidents. These occurrences were identified and halted between January and July, originating in China, Iran, and West Africa, according to a report on the misuse of Anthropic's models. The surveillance campaigns primarily targeted the same diaspora and dissident communities that these regimes had previously monitored. This includes pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, Tibetan and Falun Gong communities in Asia, as well as Iranian minority groups and critics of the Iranian regime living abroad, the report stated. In one instance, Iranian operatives devised a method to identify individuals via their social media profiles; in another case, a contractor employed by Malian national security forces employed Anthropic's Claude AI to engineer the software facilitating intelligence gathering.\n\nAnthropic noted that AI is now being deployed in the absence of a traditional engineering workforce.",
  "summary": "SAN FRANCISCO — Anthropic said Thursday it shut down multiple cases of state-sponsored surveillance operations that used its artificial intelligence (AI) models, and warned that governments and state-aligned actors are increasingly using AI to spy on ethnic minorities and dissidents. The incidents were found and disrupted between January and July, and they originated in China, Iran and west…",
  "key_points": [
    "Anthropic shut down AI-assisted spying by China, Iran, and West Africa",
    "AI used to monitor ethnic minorities and dissidents in multiple regions",
    "AI deployed without traditional engineering workforce"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The shutdown of state-backed spying operations by Anthropic highlights the growing concern that governments and state-linked entities are utilizing AI to intensify surveillance on dissidents and ethnic minorities.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 11,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Al-Monitor",
        "title": "China, Iran among countries that have used AI to aid spying, Anthropic says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/china-iran-among-countries-that-have-used-ai-to-aid-spying-anthropic-6682898",
        "published": "2026-09-11T01:30:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "China, Iran among countries that have used AI to aid spying, Anthropic says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/china-iran-among-countries-that-have-used-ai-to-aid-spying-anthropic",
        "published": "2026-09-11T01:57:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Anthropic blocks weapons work queries on Claude AI from China, Russia users",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/anthropic-blocks-weapons-work-queries-on-claude-ai-from-china-russia",
        "published": "2026-09-11T03:49:50.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "Anthropic says it caught China using Claude to develop an anti-torpedo weapon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/anthropic-says-it-caught-china-using-claude-to-develop-an-anti",
        "published": "2026-09-11T04:07:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
        "title": "China, Iran among countries that have used AI to aid spying, Anthropic says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/china-iran-among-countries-that-have-used-ai-to-aid-spying-anthropic-6713601",
        "published": "2026-09-11T04:52:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Tech in Asia",
        "title": "Anthropic says China AI labs used Claude to train models",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/anthropic-says-china-ai-labs-used-claude-to-train-models",
        "published": "2026-09-11T05:05:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Houthis using AI for missiles? Anthropic says Yemen weapons cell using Claude",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/houthis-using-ai-for-missiles-anthropic-says-yemen-weapons-cell-using",
        "published": "2026-09-11T05:32:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "How Yemeni rebels used Anthropic's AI software to design and build guided weapons",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/how-yemeni-rebels-used-anthropics-ai-software-to-design-and-build",
        "published": "2026-09-11T05:34:50.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Anthropic flags five Claude AI uses linked to biological weapons research",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/anthropic-flags-five-claude-ai-uses-linked-to-biological-weapons",
        "published": "2026-09-11T07:14:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "China, Iran among countries that have used AI to aid spying, Anthropic says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/china-iran-among-countries-that-have-used-ai-to-aid-spying-anthropic-6737395",
        "published": "2026-09-11T09:01:56.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}