Chinese AI Coding Models Pose Hidden Risk to US Software Supply Chain, Report Says

Booz Allen says several tested Chinese models generated more vulnerable code under U.S. government prompts and refused tasks involving Beijing-censored topics.

The World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, China, on July 6, 2023. Aly Song/Reuters

Booz Allen Hamilton warned that Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) coding models used by U.S. developers could create hidden software-supply-chain risks for government, contractor, and critical-infrastructure systems, after its testing found some models generated more vulnerable code when prompted as if the user worked for the U.S. government.

The company said in its June report “What’s in America’s Code?” that it tested four Chinese coding models and one U.S. model across more than 2,800 trials, generating about 460,000 lines of code.