13/08/2026
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13/08/2026
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TAIPEI, Aug 13: Hackers used an autonomous artificial intelligence system to conduct a sophisticated cyberattack against government agencies and critical-sector organizations in Taiwan, officials and cybersecurity experts said, in what they described as a potentially unprecedented case of AI-driven attacks operating with limited human intervention.
According to Israeli AI security firm Dream, the campaign took place over four days in July. The attackers reportedly mapped 21 government systems, compromised 85 government user accounts and extracted about 2,500 personnel records. The operation also targeted Taiwan’s nuclear safety agency, government IT suppliers and at least seven companies in the energy sector.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs said the investigation found clear indications that the attacks originated overseas and employed a hybrid approach that combined conventional hacking techniques with AI agents. The ministry did not publicly identify the perpetrators.
Experts have suggested that the operation may have links to actors based overseas, but Taiwanese authorities and Dream have not confirmed the attribution. The use of distinctive character forms in internal documents associated with the intrusion was cited as one indication, although this alone does not establish responsibility.
Dream said the AI system coordinated as many as eight AI agents, which carried out reconnaissance, credential attacks, exploitation of vulnerabilities, and planning of subsequent attack paths. Unlike conventional AI-assisted hacking, the system reportedly adapted its tactics when blocked and continued operations without requiring a human operator to direct every step.
Kenny Huang, chairman of the Taiwan Network Information Center, described the incident as the first fully automated cyberattack against a government he was aware of. The incident has renewed concerns that increasingly capable AI systems could lower the cost and increase the scale and speed of cyberattacks.
Taiwanese officials said the episode demonstrated the need for stronger defensive capabilities, legal frameworks and policies to address AI-enabled cyber threats, as governments worldwide confront the growing challenge of autonomous systems being used for malicious purposes.
