US nearly attacked Chinese ship after AI error, CNN reports

In spring 2026, the US nearly intercepted a Chinese vessel due to an artificial intelligence error, CNN reported, citing sources. The AI-generated report falsely claimed the ship carried components for Iran's nuclear weapons program. US military personnel prepared to board the ship, with several warplanes launched. Before the operation, officials rechecked the data and discovered the report was AI-created, as the chatbot misidentified the cargo. The chatbot allegedly combined open-source information with classified signals intelligence, producing a "completely false" report that "almost provoked a war," according to one source. The actual cargo remains unknown.