China-linked hackers posed as former US officials, Anthropic employee to target AI experts

China-linked hackers have conducted a targeted social engineering campaign against artificial intelligence experts, impersonating former U.S. government officials and an employee of AI firm Anthropic to gain access to sensitive AI research and personnel. Defense One reports the operation as part of a broader pattern of Chinese intelligence collection focused on advanced AI capabilities with potential defense applications. The targeting of AI researchers reflects the growing strategic competition over AI technology as a dual-use capability with direct military relevance.