In a September 2026 alert, UK security service MI5 said research funded by the China General Technology Research Institute covered AI, cybersecurity, covert communications and steganography

In October 2026 public records showed four Z.ai co-founders worked on a nearly four-year AI research project co-funded by the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), which a September 30, 2026 MI5 espionage alert accused of having very strong ties to China's Ministry of State Security.