How a fake AI-generated intelligence report almost "triggered a war" between Beijing and Washington

The U.S. military nearly boarded a Chinese ship in the Middle East this year based on a flawed intelligence report generated using artificial intelligence (AI), CNN reported Friday.

An error that could have triggered a conflict. According to a report by CNN, an intelligence report generated by artificial intelligence nearly led the United States to attack a Chinese ship.

US intelligence services had indicated that the ship was carrying components related to nuclear weapons, prompting US forces to prepare for its interception, according to the media outlet, which cites four anonymous sources familiar with the incident.

The operation was cancelled after it emerged that an AI chatbot used by an analyst had misidentified the material being transported by the ship.

Repeated warnings

This information from CNN comes as warnings have been multiplying for the past week about the risks associated with AI.

Donald Trump and several members of the presidential majority have, however, reiterated their desire not to regulate the sector, officially for fear of seeing China gain the upper hand.

Politico reported on Friday another incident involving China. Parts from F-35 stealth fighter jets, including a cockpit canopy, were diverted to Hong Kong and are now missing, raising concerns that Beijing may have gained access to sensitive US military technology.

The parts had been shipped from Australia to the United States for repair when the hijacking occurred, according to the media outlet, which specifies that the reasons for this change of route and the current location of the parts are unknown.

A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin, which manages the F-35 supply chain, declined to discuss details of the delivery for "security reasons" but assured that the company "was in compliance with all U.S. regulations" regarding the shipment of aircraft components.