US spy agencies, including America’s 18-member intelligence community, are experimenting with cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) models. However, China is catching up fast.
In January 2017, Chinese company DeepSeek released a world-class Large Language Model (LLM), prompting former President Donald Trump to take notice. Mark Warner, vice-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, described America’s intelligence community as “caught off guard”.
This gap in technology has significant implications for global espionage. As AI models continue to improve, spy agencies are investing heavily in research and development to stay ahead of their adversaries.
But will China adopt these new technologies more quickly? The answer is uncertain. While the US may have an advantage in terms of technological capabilities, China’s sheer size and economic resources give it a significant edge when it comes to adopting and integrating new AI models into its intelligence operations.
China’s growing investment in AI research and development has already led to some notable breakthroughs. For instance, Chinese scientists have developed sophisticated language processing algorithms that allow them to analyze vast amounts of data with unprecedented speed and accuracy.
As the game of espionage continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether China can close the gap on US technological superiority. One thing is certain: the future of global intelligence gathering will depend on the rapid adoption and deployment of AI models by both the US and Chinese spy agencies.
Source: https://www.economist.com/international/2025/07/29/how-spy-agencies-are-experimenting-with-the-newest-ai-models