Experts Warn Congress of Chinese Spies Targeting US AI Labs
Former U.S. officials testified before the House Intelligence Committee on July 21, 2026, warning that the U.S. intelligence community has not kept pace with China's efforts to steal proprietary American AI technology. Experts including Frank Cilluffo, H.R. McMaster, and Ben Buchanan argued that counterintelligence priorities must shift from traditional government secrets to protecting frontier AI models held by private companies. They highlighted Chinese tactics such as model distillation operations and embedding spies in U.S. firms. Buchanan criticized the Trump administration for easing advanced chip export restrictions to China, urging stronger enforcement. The hearing noted that while the White House has directed agencies to safeguard AI, it has not established a dedicated counterintelligence framework equivalent to recent quantum computing executive orders. The testimony underscored AI's growing role in cyberattacks, autonomous drones, and influence operations.
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