Anthropic · DeepSeek · Alibaba · Claude · Taiwan · China · Tom's Hardware
Chinese military researchers and tech giants caught tapping Claude
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 2 sources. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◎ Multiple-sources
While China claims to have advanced AI models that may well compete against those developed in the U.S., for some reason, hundreds of China-linked agents allegedly used Anthropic for at least five different programs: two military, two surveillance, and one aimed at distilling Claude's capabilities, according to Anthropic's September 2026 threat report.
Key facts
- DeepSeek alone allegedly generated more than 12.1 million exchanges in 14 days, while Xiaomi generated more than 400,000
- The largest one allegedly came from Alibaba, whose operators generated more than 151 million Claude exchanges between May and July 2026
- Another China-based defense and military-industrial researcher used Claude to develop about 16 software modules for electronic warfare and suppression of enemy air defenses
- Interestingly, Anthropic claims that account metadata and content caught by its safeguards 'indicated the actor was linked to PRC research institutions, including the PLA Academy of Military
Summary
One China-based actor used Claude to draft a fire-control specification for an anti-torpedo fire-control system (the core logic that determines when and where an anti-torpedo weapon should engage an incoming threat), test the potential system against U.S. Navy anti-torpedo and anti-submarine systems based on public knowledge about these programs, and prep a 200+ page technical proposal for a potential client. Another China-based defense and military-industrial researcher used Claude to develop about 16 software modules for electronic warfare and suppression of enemy air defenses.
Given China's major AI prowess (which may well fall short of American, but still be capable), it is interesting to see two Chinese military projects using Anthropic AI. Anthropic also disrupted China-linked surveillance operations related to Uyghurs outside of China, perhaps because similar operations are already in place in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.