Suspected Chinese hackers used publicly available AI tools to break into Taiwanese government systems, in a worrying sign of automated, cheap cyberattacks against the island.

• Hackers likely tied to China used off-the-shelf AI agent tools to break into Taiwan government networks, with security units first spotting the attacks in July.
• The break-in reportedly hit at least 85 government user accounts, and the origin, methods, and scope have now been investigated.
• An underground group on Telegram claimed it had gained access to a Taiwanese police surveillance system.
• Taiwan's police agency pushed back, saying the leaked camera footage did not come from Tainan's official street-corner cameras.
• Police said their video systems are managed under strict access controls, logging, and security audits to block unauthorized use.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan to keep hardening government networks as AI makes these attacks cheaper and easier, while China denies involvement.