AI-generated report nearly triggered US operation on Chinese ship

A false intelligence report prepared with the help of artificial intelligence reportedly came close to triggering a US military operation against a Chinese vessel in West Asia during the war with Iran, CNN reported, citing several sources familiar with the incident.

According to the report, the intelligence was circulated across the US military this spring and claimed that the Chinese ship was transporting components linked to a nuclear weapons programme.

The claim immediately raised alarm and led to preparations to intercept the vessel. CNN cited four sources as saying the US military moved towards an operation against the ship.

Two sources said armed US personnel were preparing to board the vessel, while two others said military aircraft were already in the air.

The operation was stopped shortly before it was due to take place after officials examined the intelligence more closely and discovered that an AI system had been used in preparing the report.

AI chatbot produced wrong conclusion

CNN reported that a US Special Operations Command analyst had used a chatbot to examine intelligence related to the ship's manifest. The original intelligence had come from US Special Operations Command Pacific, based in Hawaii.

The chatbot reportedly combined open-source information with classified signals intelligence available to the US government before incorrectly concluding that the ship was carrying material linked to a nuclear weapons programme.

The analyst then used AI again to turn the findings into a standard intelligence report, which was subsequently distributed through military channels, according to CNN.

It remained unclear what the ship was actually carrying. CNN said it could not determine the nature of the cargo or whether it posed any threat. The report also did not identify the AI system involved.

One source described the intelligence as "entirely false" and said the incident had come close to starting a war, given the potential consequences of a US military operation against a Chinese vessel.

It was also unclear whether the chatbot was a commercial product or a system developed specifically for the US government.

The incident underscores the risks of relying on AI-generated information in military operations, particularly during an active conflict when inaccurate intelligence can have immediate consequences.