By bbc.com
Publication Date: 2025-11-14 10:46:00
The makers of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Claude claim to have caught Chinese government-sponsored hackers using the tool to carry out automated cyberattacks against around 30 global organizations.
Anthropic said hackers tricked the chatbot into performing automated tasks under the guise of conducting cybersecurity research.
The company claimed in a blog post that this was the “first reported AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaign.”
But skeptics question the veracity of this claim – and the motive behind it.
Anthropic said it discovered the hacking attempts in mid-September.
Under the guise of being legitimate cybersecurity employees, the hackers gave the chatbot small automated tasks that, strung together, created a “sophisticated espionage campaign.”
Researchers at Anthropic said they had “high confidence” that the people who carried out the attacks were “a Chinese state-sponsored group.”
They said people chose the targets – big tech companies, financial companies…
