Several Chinese-built artificial-intelligence (AI) language models are now playing a central role in what analysts describe as a broader cognitive-warfare strategy aimed at undermining the social cohesion and democratic resilience of Taiwan. According to a recent report from Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) dated November 16, multiple China-originated models were found to exhibit significant cybersecurity flaws, heavy pro-Beijing political bias in their content, and pose data-exfiltration risks via location tracking and permissions abuse. One expert commentary argues that these AI systems are being used as tools of Beijing’s so-called “unrestricted warfare,” designed to foment disinformation, erode institutional trust, and set the stage for acceptance of forced cross-strait unification. The NSB’s findings track with separate coverage from independent outlets spotlighting both the technical vulnerabilities of these apps and Taiwan’s warning to its citizenry to avoid downloads of certain Chinese AI products.
Sources: Taipei Times, Taiwan News
Key Takeaways
– These China-developed AI language models are flagged not just for standard security risks but for explicitly pro-Beijing narrative bias, including claims that “Taiwan is part of China” and avoidance of terms like “democracy” or “freedom.”
– The NSB review identified broad data-security concerns: models demanding location access, screenshot capture, device-parameter harvesting, and permissions far beyond legitimate functionality.
– The deployment of such AI tools appears to be part of a larger, integrated campaign by Beijing—combining cyber operations, disinformation, and digital influence efforts—to weaken Taiwan’s democratic defenses, not simply a matter of stray apps.
In-Depth
In recent months, the democratic island of Taiwan has found itself confronting not just the well-publicized military and diplomatic pressure from the mainland, but also a sophisticated, tech-driven assault on its very democratic fabric. At the heart of this is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) language models developed in the People’s Republic of China, which Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) now identifies as major national-security vulnerabilities and psychological-operations vectors.
According to a report dated November 16, the NSB examined five China-originated AI language models — including names like DeepSeek, Yiyan, Tongyi, Doubao and Yuanbao — and found them riddled with problems. These include rampant cybersecurity weaknesses (such as collecting location data, device parameters, screenshots and excessive permissions) and egregious content-bias issues. The models tend to adopt the political narratives of Beijing: for example framing Taiwan as a province of China, omitting keywords like “democracy” or “human rights,” and aligning with the official Chinese state line. The NSB’s inspection found nearly all of the five crossed multiple violation thresholds in its mobile-app security testing protocol.
What makes the situation especially dangerous is that this is not just about some poorly-guarded applications; analysts argue it is part of a broader campaign by Beijing to engage in “cognitive warfare” — a term that denotes the attempt to shape perceptions, beliefs and social stability through non-kinetic means. By seeding biased content, harvesting user data, and undermining trust in democratic institutions, the deployment of these AI systems becomes part of a layered strategy, interlocking with cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and grey-zone military actions aimed at Taiwan. From the vantage point of Taiwanese defense and intelligence officials, the goal is clear: soften public resistance, sow confusion and division, and create an environment more amenable to eventual Chinese coercion or unification.
From a U.S.-friendly perspective, this development signals a new and troubling frontier in great-power competition — one that uses everyday technological tools, deployed globally, to project influence and control rather than strictly force of arms. For Taiwan, which already stands at the front lines of cross-strait confrontation, the need to bolster digital resilience, reinforce media literacy and guard against infiltration of its tech ecosystem has moved from academic concern into urgent national-security policy.
In practical terms, the Taiwanese government has begun issuing public warnings and restricting certain Chinese apps from sensitive networks, while also calling on the private sector and civil society to raise awareness of the risks posed by using such tools. For democracies globally, the Taiwan case provides a warning: the future of conflict won’t just be defined by ships in the strait or jets overhead — it will increasingly be defined by algorithms, apps and influence operations aimed at shaping minds rather than firing bullets.
Yet the threat remains difficult to contain. Once an AI model is deployed, its reach can be broad, subtle, targeted and difficult to trace. Especially when combined with well-orchestrated social-media amplification, AI-generated text and media, and state-backed propaganda, the challenge is not merely one of defense but of offense: democracies must not only block hostile tools, but also build stronger narratives, diversify trusted platforms, and deepen digital literacy among citizens. For those watching Taiwan’s struggle, it may well foreshadow the next phase of the global ideological and technological contest.
As the cross-strait relationship remains volatile, the role of AI in national-security strategy is fast evolving — and Taiwan’s warnings deserve attention far beyond East Asia.