How China Is Using AI for Cybercrime

In recent years, China has significantly ramped up its use of artificial intelligence (AI) for cybercrime, with several key areas showing notable growth and sophistication. This trend has raised serious concerns among cybersecurity experts and policymakers worldwide.

China's AI Shenanigans: Picture this—a nation using artificial intelligence like a mischievous wizard to twist information, conjure up fake news, and pull off cyber tricks that would make any hacker proud!

Cyber Espionage and Hacking

China-linked cyber espionage has seen a dramatic surge, with a 150% increase over the past year¹. Critical industries have been particularly hard hit, experiencing up to a 300% rise in targeted attacks¹. The landscape of threat actors has also expanded, with seven new China-nexus adversaries identified in 2024 alone². These developments have contributed to a significant escalation in espionage activities.

Chinese hackers are increasingly leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance their operations³. This adoption of AI has made their cyber operations more efficient, allowing them to move faster and at higher volumes³. The integration of AI into hacking techniques has raised the bar for cybersecurity defenses worldwide.

Influence Operations and Disinformation

The use of AI in influence operations has led to a sharp increase in sophisticated attacks. Voice phishing (vishing) attacks, for instance, saw a staggering 442% rise between the first and second half of 2024, largely driven by AI-powered deception tactics¹.

Chinese actors have been creating AI-generated content, including fake news anchors and videos, to spread disinformation and manipulate public opinion⁴. In a notable example, TikTok accounts reportedly run by a Chinese propaganda arm targeted candidates from both political parties during the 2022 U.S. midterm elections⁴.

Surveillance and Social Media Monitoring

In a significant development, OpenAI uncovered evidence of a Chinese AI-powered surveillance tool called "Peer Review"⁵. This tool is designed to monitor anti-Chinese posts on Western social media platforms in real-time⁵. Experts believe that this surveillance system is based on Meta's Llama AI framework, which is open-sourced and publicly accessible⁵.

Election Interference

The threat of AI-enabled election interference has become a global concern. Intelligence reports suggest that China, along with Russia and Iran, is "very likely" to use AI-enabled tools to attempt to interfere with democratic processes, such as Canada's upcoming 2025 election⁶.

Chinese actors are conducting massive data collection campaigns, gathering billions of data points on democratic politicians, public figures, and citizens worldwide⁶. This vast trove of information enhances their capacity for targeted influence and espionage campaigns.

Cybercrime Efficiency

The efficiency of cybercrime operations has increased dramatically with the adoption of AI. A striking 79% of attacks to gain initial access are now malware-free, with adversaries exploiting compromised credentials to infiltrate systems as legitimate users².

The cybercrime ecosystem has also evolved, with access broker advertisements surging by 50% year-over-year². This increase indicates a growing market for the sale of compromised credentials and system access. Additionally, Iran-nexus actors are increasingly exploring generative AI for vulnerability research, exploit development, and patching domestic networks².

These statistics and examples demonstrate the growing sophistication and scale of China's AI-driven cybercrime activities, posing significant challenges to global cybersecurity efforts. As AI technology continues to advance, it is crucial for governments, organizations, and individuals to remain vigilant and adapt their security measures to counter these evolving threats.

References:

1. Surfshark. "China tops global data breach rankings in 2024, experts warn." Dig.watch, 12 Feb 2025.

2. OpenAI. "OpenAI Uncovers Evidence of A.I.-Powered Chinese Surveillance Tool." The New York Times, 21 Feb 2025.

3. China Digital Times. "Chinese and Other Actors Leverage AI for Censorship, Surveillance, Propaganda." 25 Feb 2025.

4. Luo, Q. "New paper reveals industrialisation of cybercrime in China." University of Oxford, Department of Sociology, 13 Dec 2024.

5. Mezha Media. "OpenAI says Chinese AI monitors social media posts critical of the country." 22 Feb 2025.

6. The Economic Times. "OpenAI bans Chinese accounts for social media surveillance." 23 Feb 2025.