Amid the ongoing geopolitical dispute and economic warfare between China and Taiwan, the latter has accused the Asian powerhouse of trying to manipulate its citizens through misinformation by artificial intelligence (AI).
Notably, Taiwan has alleged that China is spreading “fake news and lies” by using advanced AI tools to mislead and confuse Taiwanese citizens, and China’s goal is to get them fighting among themselves and break their unity.
Taiwan has also accused China of practicing with their military near Taiwan, putting trade limits on them, and trying to sway opinions. Further, this year, China has also made a massive move in the tech world after launching DeepSeek AI and Manus AI. These models offer advanced AI capabilities at a cost that is affordable for individuals worldwide.
What’s the conflict between Taiwan and China?
China wants Taiwan to join it, but the country wants to stay independent. Further, both countries are also locked in a dispute with the US as an active meddler.
The conflict between the two countries related to AI is that Taiwan has set itself as a pioneering country for powering AI chips and China wants that power for itself. They’re clashing over who controls this tech. China is also competing with the US, as it wants to become the global leader in AI. China’s military moves, hacks, and AI plans for Taiwan pose a significant threat.
This is what Taiwan’s National Security Bureau has noticed and reported
As per the reports, China recently held two days of military practice, including shooting real weapons, near Taiwan, which is a self-governing island. The incident worried the United States and its friends, as the US is supporting Taiwan by sending the fighter jets and military weapons there. Further, it also backs Taiwan, helping it to stay ahead in AI chips.
Taiwan’s security team has told its government that they have spotted over 500,000 weird and tricky messages this year, mostly on apps like Facebook and TikTok.
They say China is sending these messages at key times, like when Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te talked about China last month or when a big chip company, TSMC, said it’s investing in the U.S. The security team calls this “cognitive warfare,” meaning China’s trying to confuse and split up Taiwan’s people with these messages to make them fight among themselves.
Taiwan’s reports also stated that as AI gets better and more common, the Chinese Communist Party is misusing it to make and spread tricky messages that create trouble.
China’s office that deals with Taiwan didn’t answer when asked about this. The report also says that this year China has stepped up sneaky moves like they have, such as sending more coast guard ships and air balloons into Taiwan’s waters and airspace. These actions are not outright attacks that force Taiwan to send troops, depleting its resources.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te says only the people of Taiwan should choose what happens to their island. In March, he called China a “foreign enemy” that’s trying to control them. China, on the other hand, says it might use force to take over Taiwan someday, but it has never promised to avoid that.
Conclusion
Taiwan has also banned its government agencies and critical infrastructure from using Chinese AI DeepSeek, citing threats to its national information security. Chinese startup DeepSeek is also building a self-improving AI model named DeepSeek-GRM. DeepSeek hasn’t said exactly when they’ll launch their next big, main AI model. They’re keeping the release date unclear for now.
Also Read: China is now building a “self-improving” AI that doesn’t require humans
