Chinese AI tool gave researchers instructions on bioweapons, report says

Chinese artificial intelligence developer Moonshot AI has launched an internal review after researchers persuaded two of its popular Kimi models to provide instructions for making biological weapons and carrying out assassinations. The findings have intensified global scrutiny over the security of open-weight models and the speed at which artificial intelligence capabilities are advancing across international jurisdictions.

The security firm Mindgard discovered the vulnerabilities during jailbreaking tests, a process in which researchers employ complex sequences of instructions to determine whether an AI system can be induced to ignore its safety controls. According to Mindgard founder Peter Garraghan, the safeguards implemented by the developer should have prevented the models from engaging with such dangerous subjects. Once the jailbreak succeeded, the models reportedly discussed almost any topic and volunteered recommendations on nefarious subjects without prompting.

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Mindgard notified Moonshot by email on 27 July and followed up roughly a week later, but received no response for two months. The security firm published its findings publicly on 12 September, and stated that Moonshot only contacted them after reporters requested comment. In an email to Mindgard shared with the BBC, Moonshot stated that its models had generally shown a high refusal rate for these types of requests during internal evaluations.

The revelation highlights distinct security challenges associated with open-weight models. Unlike closed systems hosted on corporate servers, open-weight models can be downloaded, copied, and operated on a user's own computing infrastructure. Alan Woodward, a professor at the University of Surrey, told the BBC that while open-source tools can be harnessed for cyber-defence, they also risk falling into the wrong hands. Mindgard expressed confidence that a jailbroken Kimi K2.6 could enable hackers to run code on computing resources and connect to the internet, potentially functioning as a launchpad for cyber-attacks.

The Kimi disclosures arrive amid a wider international debate concerning the safety and governance of advanced artificial intelligence. Western labs have reported parallel challenges with misuse. Anthropic published threat intelligence detailing attempts by bad actors to use its Claude models to design conventional weapons, conduct espionage, and support biological research. Meanwhile, researchers and executives continue to debate the plausibility of existential risks versus immediate real-world harms, such as automated cyberattacks and the generation of non-consensual deepfakes.

Regulatory responses are evolving across major jurisdictions. In the United States, lawmakers have advanced measures such as the Open-Source AI Leadership Act and proposals targeting foreign models on government devices. In China, the Cyberspace Administration has maintained a focus on global governance frameworks while addressing domestic safety risks, issuing guidance requiring autonomous agents to remain within authorized boundaries.

Moonshot has stated that it welcomes third-party feedback as a pillar for building safer technology and remains in discussions with Mindgard regarding a fix. The developer has not publicly specified whether the Kimi K2.6 or K3 Swarm models have been formally patched, leaving open questions regarding how quickly open-weight vulnerabilities can be remediated once discovered.