The National Security Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a joint cybersecurity advisory on September 8, 2026, warning that China-based artificial intelligence companies are systematically extracting proprietary capabilities from U.S. frontier AI models. According to the advisory, designated AA26-251A, these efforts take the form of industrial-scale knowledge distillation campaigns that have been running since at least late 2024.
What the Joint Advisory Says
The three agencies state that the campaigns are aimed at extracting proprietary capabilities from U.S. frontier AI models. The advisory characterizes the activity as systematic and operating at an industrial scale, rather than as isolated incidents.
Timeline and Designation
The advisory, released on September 8, 2026, carries the designation AA26-251A. It notes that the distillation campaigns have been underway since at least late 2024.
Key Entities Involved
- Issuing agencies: National Security Agency (NSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
- Actors identified: China-based artificial intelligence companies.
- Targets: U.S. frontier AI models.
- Method: Industrial-scale knowledge distillation campaigns.
- Timeframe: Running since at least late 2024.
