The Ministry of State Security issued a security warning today regarding the AI core term "Token," emphasizing the need to be highly vigilant about data leaks and financial fraud risks against the backdrop of a market with daily usage volumes exceeding 140 trillion.
With the National Data Administration officially naming Token, this smallest unit of AI information, which is measurable, quantifiable, and tradable, has become the "settlement unit" of the intelligent era. Data shows that by March 2026, China's Token usage volume had grown more than a thousand times compared to early 2024, expanding its applications from AI text generation and audio-visual editing to digital identity credentials and blockchain rights tokens.
However, technological breakthroughs come with security challenges. The Ministry of State Security pointed out that criminals are using methods such as cross-site scripting attacks and public Wi-Fi sniffing to steal Tokens. Once leaked, attackers can directly take over user identities, leading to privacy theft or illegal asset transfers.
In addition, the lack of encryption protection for Tokens has led to forgery and tampering, as well as illegal financial activities under the guise of "getting rich by stockpiling Tokens," posing new threats to national economic and data security. In response to this situation, official recommendations suggest users should scientifically distinguish between identity credentials and AI resources, use services through legitimate encrypted channels, and enable two-factor authentication. This warning marks a shift in regulatory focus from macro-level models to micro-level data units, highlighting significant implications for building a compliant and stable AI industry ecosystem.
