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Google reports Chinese intelligence hackers are increasingly using AI agents to automate and accelerate cyberattacks

Google has reported that Chinese intelligence hackers are increasingly utilizing AI agents to automate large portions of their cyberattacks. According to a report from Google’s Threat Intelligence Group, these AI agents allow hackers to spend significantly less time on active hacking, with some campaigns being completed in less than six hours. One specific Chinese group has been tracked since 2023, focusing on proprietary AI research in North American academic, medical, and military organizations. To avoid being monitored, these hackers often install open-source AI models on compromised third-party cloud networks. John Hultquist, the chief analyst at Google’s Threat Intelligence Group, stated that this approach allows hackers to bypass the guardrails of popular commercial chatbots. The report also highlights how AI-assisted coding tools have led to large-scale software supply chain compromises in 2025 and early 2026. Threat actors are now using AI to target proprietary AI research and models in critical sectors such as government, military, and healthcare. While China has been accused of hacking for economic advantage, Liu Chang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, rejected the claims, stating that China opposes hacking activities and fights them in accordance with the law.

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