USA’s Venezuela takeover comes with bonus exposure to Chinese AI surveillance tech
ASPI warns Venezuela will adopt Chinese LLM-based AI surveillance from sanctioned iFlytek, urging Secretary Rubio to dismantle the Chinese-built surveillance apparatus.
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report, 'Warning signals: Venezuela and the risk of Chinese AI-enabled digital authoritarianism,' says Venezuela agreed in 2025 to adopt Chinese-built AI systems to enhance a surveillance state built a decade ago with Chinese technology. iFlytek, banned by the US in 2019 over its role in repressing Uyghurs in Xinjiang, is involved in the agreement led by then vice-president Delcy Rodríguez. The US took over Venezuela in January 2026 and installed Rodríguez as leader, and ASPI finds no sign she has changed course. ASPI calls on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to dismantle the surveillance apparatus and counter China's export of surveillance technology.