US military aborted boarding of Chinese ship after AI chatbot gave false nuclear intel

A U.S. military operation to intercept a Chinese vessel in the Middle East was aborted after an AI chatbot generated a false intelligence report, nearly triggering a potential armed conflict with China. The report, based on data from U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific, falsely identified nuclear cargo on the ship. Special forces and aircraft were preparing to board when officials discovered the error, which stemmed from an analyst using a chatbot that hallucinated the intelligence. The incident highlights risks as the Pentagon rapidly integrates AI into operations, with officials citing a lack of uniform safety standards. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently announced an "AI Acceleration Strategy" to expand AI use, though insiders warn of uncritical trust in automated systems.