China-linked actors target more than technology as AI competition with U.S. intensifies

U.S.-based cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike has warned of increasing cyberattacks from China-based entities aimed at stealing artificial intelligence to narrow the tech gap with the U.S. Bill Hinton | Moment Mobile | Getty Images Cyberattacks aimed at stealing American artificial intelligence technology are increasingly expanding from tech-based attacks to the exploitation of human-level vulnerabilities, with China-based actors playing a growing role. "As the AI race has heated up, the [People's Republic of China] has targeted the tech sector increasingly," said Matt Pearl, director of the strategic technologies program at the U.S.-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies. Rather than focusing on a specific trade secret, such as hardware designs, the hackers have broadened their interest to anything that could narrow the three- to four-month AI gap with the U.S., Pearl said. That, he said, ranges from understanding a company's product roadmap, particularly in highly competitive sectors, to identifying weaknesses in supply chains. The alleged cases are already piling up. In June, U.S.-based cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike said Chinese entities accounted for more than half of state-sponsored intrusions targeting technology companies, especially their AI assets, in the 12 months through March 31. American tech start-up Anthropic has also accused Chinese companies , including Alibaba , of illicit attempts to steal its AI capabilities. …