Artificial intelligence has jumped from niche research labs into the center of US national security strategy, the US Intelligence Community warns.
In its 2026 Annual Threat Assessment, the community puts AI at the center of a rapidly evolving threat landscape, warning that adversaries are weaponizing the technology to boost military power, cyber capabilities, and global influence.
The paper describes AI as a “defining technology for the 21st century,” capable of reshaping warfare, intelligence, and geopolitics.
Risks Are Real
From automating targeting to enabling large-scale cyber campaigns, AI is shifting from support tool to operational driver.
Adversaries are using AI-generated content, including hyper-realistic video, audio, and text, to spread false narratives and create confusion.
That approach was demonstrated in recent conflicts, where fake combat clips have circulated widely online, blurring the line between real and fabricated events and increasing political pressure during wartime.
The report also highlighted a growing cyber threat backed by AI.
In 2025, actors employed AI tools in a global data-extortion campaign targeting government, healthcare, emergency service networks, and religious institutions.
These capabilities allow faster, more precise campaigns and make them harder to detect.
China ‘Most Capable’
China is identified as the “most capable competitor” in the AI race, rapidly integrating the technology across military, intelligence, and surveillance systems.
Backed by massive datasets, state funding, and global partnerships, Beijing aims to outrun the US as the world’s AI leader by 2030, according to the review.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warned that such a shift would carry significant risks.
“AI has the potential to aid in weapons and systems design and has been used in recent conflicts to influence targeting and streamline decision-making, underscoring the risk and likely threats that could manifest on the battlefield,” she said.
