MI5 Issues Alert Over Chinese Institute Co-opting UK Academics for Espionage in AI and Cybersecurity

MI5 issued a groundbreaking alert on Wednesday, warning that a Chinese organization is funding academic research—including AI—on behalf of Beijing’s state security apparatus.

The agency’s “Espionage Alert” says over 100 UK scholars have taken part in projects financed by the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), an entity with deep connections to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), the country’s civilian intelligence wing.

“CGTRI’s primary function, according to MI5, is to fund academic research that directly bolsters MSS technical espionage capabilities,” the alert states.

“UK academics have contributed to CGTRI‑funded work covering AI, cybersecurity, covert communications, and steganography, all of which aid MSS espionage and jeopardize British national security,” the alert concluded.

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