How foreign agents use 'honey traps' to steal secrets

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigned Thursday following reports of an affair with a woman US officials believe was passing information to the Chinese government, sparking turmoil at the world’s biggest AI chipmaker. Details remain unclear, including how Alice Huang may have been recruited and what information was leaked, with Beijing calling the allegations "groundless speculation." The case highlights how honey traps—using romance or sex to extract secrets—remain common espionage tactics, especially by Chinese and Russian agents. Honey traps have a long history, from Cold War "Romeo spies" to cases like French diplomat Bernard Boursicot, who passed documents for years. Experts say such operations succeed rarely, but even one success can be valuable, making AI industry leaders prime targets amid US-China rivalry.