The FBI chief is “deeply concerned” about China’s AI program and its potential use in hacking and repression
FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday he was “deeply concerned” about the Chinese government’s artificial intelligence program, claiming it was “not constrained by the rule of law.”
During a panel session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wray said Beijing’s AI ambitions are “built on massive troves of intellectual property and sensitive data they’ve stolen over the years.”
He said that if left unchecked, China could use advances in artificial intelligence to power its hacking operations, intellectual property theft and crackdown on dissidents inside the country and beyond.
“It’s something we’re very concerned about and I think everyone here should be very concerned,” he said.
More generally, he said, “AI is a classic example of technology where I have the same reaction every time. I’m like, ‘Wow, can we do this?’ And then I’m like, ‘Oh god, they can do this.’”
Such concerns have long been raised by US officials. In October 2021, for example, US counterintelligence officials issued warnings about China’s AI ambitions, as part of a renewed effort to educate business leaders, academics, and local and state government officials about the risks of accepting Chinese investment or Chinese expertise in key industries .
Earlier this year, an AI commission led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt called on the US to upgrade its AI capabilities to counter China, including by pursuing “AI-enabled” weapons.
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington on Thursday did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wray’s comments. Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of scaremongering and attacked US intelligence over its assessments of China.
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