How is AI affecting cybersecurity competition between the United States and China?

AI is affecting cybersecurity competition between the United States and China because it can automate parts of cyber operations, including reconnaissance, vulnerability research, exploitation, malware development, and data theft. In 2025 Anthropic reported disrupting a cyberespionage campaign attributed to a Chinese state-sponsored group that used Claude to automate attempted intrusions against roughly 30 companies and government agencies. Anthropic described it as “the first documented case of a large-scale cyberattack executed without substantial human intervention.”