Chinese AI Model Used in Cyberattacks on French Infrastructure

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on November 12 that a Chinese artificial intelligence model was used in cyberattacks that disabled cooling systems across Europe. The attacks primarily targeted France, where approximately 700 supermarkets and the French public blood bank were affected, triggering prolonged defrost cycles and significant food loss. Similar disruptions were reported in Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.

While Bessent characterized the event as likely involving Iranians using a Chinese model, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot attributed the attacks directly to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Bessent warned that Chinese AI tools are dangerous because they lack guardrails.

Bessent intends to address the security risks of these tools with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in Shenzhen during an upcoming Asia trip with President Donald Trump.