New Delhi, Sept. 15 -- China has dismissed US warnings about the dangers of artificial intelligence as "fearmongering". Yet, almost at the same time, Beijing's top intelligence official has issued one of the clearest warnings from the Chinese government about AI's potential to undermine political stability and even threaten the Communist Party's hold on power.

Chen Yixin, head of China's Ministry of State Security, called for tighter government oversight of AI, warning that rapidly advancing technology could be exploited for disinformation, cyberattacks, espionage and military competition. His assessment puts political security at the centre of Beijing's AI concerns, rather than focusing solely on the broader question of whether advanced...