UK accuses China of using academics to spy on AI and other tech research - Reuters

Britain’s domestic security service MI5 issued an unprecedented alert on Wednesday, warning that a Chinese organisation is involved in funding academic research on artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies in the United Kingdom.

According to the alert, the funding is being provided on behalf of Beijing’s state security service and is directed at university projects that explore AI, quantum computing, robotics and related fields. The aim, as described by British officials, is to gain access to sensitive scientific information and to facilitate espionage activities within the UK research community.

The UK government has said the covert funding scheme represents a concerted effort by China to exploit academic collaborations for intelligence‑gathering purposes. It has called on universities, research institutes and individual scholars to scrutinise the origins of foreign funding and to adopt heightened security protocols.

In response, the British authorities plan to work closely with higher‑education institutions to strengthen vetting procedures for overseas sponsors and to provide guidance on safeguarding research data. The measures are intended to protect national security while preserving the openness of academic inquiry.

The alert underscores growing concerns in Britain about foreign influence in its scientific sector and signals a willingness to take more aggressive steps to counter perceived threats from state‑linked actors.