Faulty intel almost started a war after AI misread Chinese vessel cargo: CNN

The US military came close to boarding a Chinese vessel in the Middle East earlier this year based on a flawed intelligence report prepared with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), CNN said on Friday.

US intelligence indicated the ship was carrying nuclear weapons-related components, leading US forces to prepare to intercept it, the broadcaster reported, citing four anonymous sources familiar with the incident.

However, the operation was called off after officials determined that an AI chatbot used by an analyst had misidentified the material the ship was carrying.

An F/A-18 Super Hornet parked on the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS George Washington is pictured on Sept. 4.

Photo: AFP / Navcent Public Affairs / US Navy

The report was “entirely false,” but “almost started a war,” CNN quoted one source as saying.

It did not specify what the vessel was actually carrying or where it was bound.

US Central Command — which is responsible for US forces in the Middle East — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The report comes after a furor erupted earlier this month when a researcher publicly resigned from leading AI firm Anthropic over fears that the technology could escape human control.

Another Anthropic employee, who did not resign, said: “We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans,” and that he thought the chances were greater than “10 percent within the next decade.”

Despite the warnings, US President Donald Trump and some of his key allies have voiced opposition to drastically curbing the development of the technology.

In a separate incident involving the US military and China, Politico on Friday reported that F-35 jet parts — including a sensitive stealth canopy for a cockpit — were diverted to Hong Kong and are now missing, raising fears that Beijing had obtained sensitive US military technology.

The parts were headed from Australia to the US for repairs when the diversion occurred, the US outlet reported, adding that it was unclear why the parts were rerouted or where they are now.

A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin, which manages the F-35 supply chain, said the company could not discuss specific shipments because of “security reasons.”

“Lockheed Martin follows all US regulations established by the Department of War and regulated by the Defense Logistics Agency regarding the shipment of aircraft components,” the spokesperson said. “Our teams handle every shipment with the utmost diligence and safeguards to ensure the integrity of the F-35 program and the security of our allied partners.”