A Chinese state-owned corporation attempted to partner with a leading British university to obtain artificial intelligence technology for possible use in “smart military bases.”
According to the emails, China’s Jiangsu Automation Research Institute (Jari) discussed developing military-use software created by the Imperial College London scientist.
The firm, which is the leading designer of China’s drone warships, discussed its goals with two Imperial College London staff members before entering into a £3 million agreement with the university in 2019.
Throughout the past year, ministers have stepped up their warnings about the possible security risks associated with academic collaborations with China. In April, M15 informed the vice-chancellors that hostile nations are targeting sensitive research that has the potential to “deliver their authoritarian, military and commercial priorities.”
According to Duncan Smith, the former Conservation leader, “Our universities are like lambs to the slaughter.” They try to accept the idea of an independent scientific investigation, but it does not work like that in China. They are taking a very significant risk with what they are doing.
The Future of Digital Innovation was based on the Imperial Data Science Institute, which was led by Professor Yike Guo. In 2022, Prof. Yike Guo resigned from Imperial College and became the provost of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
The center aimed to advance intelligent manufacturing, computer vision, and maritime forecasting for “civilian application.” However, the correspondence indicates that Jari was also considering military applications before the formalization of the partnership.
The UK-China Transparency Charity obtained the emails through a freedom of information request. According to a Mandarin-language email sent in November 2018 by the research director of Jari to a professor at Imperial College, one of Jari’s key objectives is testing whether software developed by the Imperial Data Science Institute can be integrated into Jari’s “JariPilot” technology to form a more powerful product.
“Smart institutes, smart military bases, and smart oceans” are some of the suggested applications. Sam Dunning, the director of UK-China Transparency, conducted the investigations and stated, “Our research presents evidence of an attempt to link Imperial College London’s expertise and resources into China’s national marine combat drone research programs.”
Similar partnerships have occurred throughout the university sector. They raise questions about whether British science facilities understand that China has become increasingly authorized and militarized under Xi Jinping and the need for appropriate due diligence when dealing with the state.
The collaborative centers launched an event for a joint center in September 2019, and funding from Jari is cited in Imperial’s 2021 annual review under the prestigious industry grants it received.
However, the partnership was dissolved in 2021. According to Imperial College, no research was conducted, and funding of £500,000 was refunded in October 2021 after a discussion with government officials.
According to an Imperial representative, partnerships and collaborations are subject to due diligence and regular review under Imperial’s policies. After reviewing UK export control laws and consulting with the government, the decision to end the partnership was made, taking into account national security concerns.
Charles Patron, a China expert at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said the partnership was “clearly highly inappropriate” and should never have been approved.
“How much work is involved in determining that Jari is manufacturing military weapons that might be used against our naval forces in the future?” the patron stated. “These people should have carried out proper due diligence long before this. Obtaining approval from the government so late in the day after signing a deal is not good enough.
As of the time of the deal, Imperial Data Science Institute was led by Professor Yike Guo, an internationally renowned AI researcher. According to a documentary on Channel 4, Prof Guo had written eight papers with Chinese partners at Shanghai University on missile designs and using artificial intelligence to control fleets of marine combat drones. Guo is no longer associated with Imperial College.
Imperial College received £18 million in funding from Chinese military-linked institutes and companies between 2017 and 2021, but since then, it has b. At the time of the deal, Imperial’s Data Science Institute was led by Prof Guo, an internationally recognized AI researcher. A Channel 4 documentary last year revealed that Guo had written eight papers with Chinese collaborators at Shanghai University on missile design and using AI to control fleets of marine combat drones. Guo is no longer affiliated with Imperial.
Imperial received more than £18m in funding from Chinese military-linked institutes and companies between 2017 and 2022. Still, since then, it has been forced to shut down several joint ventures as government policy on scientific collaboration has been forced to shut down several joint ventures.
Duncan Smith, who the Chinese government sanctioned for criticizing its leadership, stated, “Governments of all stripes have taken a long time to understand what the treat is from China, and universities for a long period have got away with this.” Though there has been a gradual and increasing tightening up, it is still insufficient. Universities and security services must work together seamlessly.
Imperial College London’s spokesperson states, “Imperial takes its national security responsibilities very seriously.” Working closely with the relevant government ministries, we regularly review our policies to ensure they remain in line with government guidance and legislation and with our commitment to the national security of the United Kingdom.
Imperial’s research is open and routinely published in prestigious international journals, and we don’t undertake any classified research on our campuses.
Prof. Guo declined to comment on Jari’s partnership, stating that he left Imperial at the end of 2022. He claimed that his previous collaborations were classified as “basic research” and were written to help advance scientific knowledge across a wide range of disciplines rather than solving specific, real-world problems.
