China rejects UK AI cyber threat report

China warned Britain on Wednesday not to “smear” it after a UK cybersecurity report said Beijing was likely to use artificial intelligence for operations against critical national infrastructure and other strategic targets.

Britain's National Cyber Security Centre said that by 2028 China, Russia and other states were highly likely to routinely use AI cyber capabilities to pursue geopolitical goals, with the UK facing faster and larger-scale sophisticated cyberattacks.

The centre said China “highly likely” had the intent and was best placed to use AI for operations against critical national infrastructure and other strategic targets.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Britain had long politicised cybersecurity. She said China had serious concern over what she called the UK's use of speculative language to smear China without evidence.

Mao said Britain was using hacking allegations as a pretext for new measures to suppress China's AI development, calling that a misguided approach.

Britain, the United States and New Zealand have accused China of cyber breaches over the past decade. Beijing has denied those claims.