China’s intelligence chief warns AI is a new strategic battleground for major powers

China's State Security Minister Chen Yixin warned that artificial intelligence has become "a new arena for strategic rivalry among major powers," urging stronger safeguards for state data, business secrets, and personal privacy. His comments appeared in China Cyberspace, a journal run by the Cyberspace Administration of China, published Sunday. Chen highlighted risks including AI's systemic impact on ideological security, with "hostile forces" potentially using it to generate rumors and mass-produce harmful information. He also cited serious threats to critical information infrastructure, noting that next-generation US-led models like Anthropic's Claude Mythos and OpenAI's GPT-5.5-Cyber could lower the technical threshold and costs of cyberattacks. The minister called for maintaining security boundaries while seizing new opportunities from AI development, reflecting Beijing's view of the technology as a key geopolitical battleground. His remarks underscore China's focus on balancing technological advancement with national security concerns.