Axios: CIA to prioritise AI, chips, and biotech in race against China

The CIA’s top priority under its current leadership is countering China, with a strong focus on helping US companies maintain a decisive edge in critical technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, and battery development.

In a rare interview with Axios, Deputy CIA Director Michael Ellis emphasised that this tech race with China represents an unprecedented challenge to American national security, one that requires a strategic rethinking of how the agency operates.

Ellis said that while Russia remains a significant intelligence focus, alongside persistent threats from Iran and North Korea, the CIA under Director John Ratcliffe is recalibrating its structure and emphasis. One notable shift involves elevating the agency’s counter-narcotics efforts, which Ellis said had previously been treated as a secondary concern. The change reflects a broader restructuring aimed at addressing new global dynamics and aligning more closely with President Trump’s priorities.

Part of this modernisation involves a reassessment of the agency’s workforce and operational methods. According to Ellis, traditional Cold War-style human intelligence tactics are becoming increasingly difficult to employ due to the rise of sophisticated surveillance technologies used by foreign adversaries. “We need more people with technical backgrounds,” Ellis said, stressing the need for more STEM graduates within the CIA’s ranks.

As part of this push toward innovation, Ellis revealed that the agency had invited Elon Musk to visit, citing the potential to learn from private sector leaders and integrate their efficiency into intelligence operations. “There are a lot of efficiencies that we can gain,” he noted.

Staffing changes are also on the horizon. Ellis framed the anticipated personnel cuts as an opportunity to reshape the agency, viewing it as a moment to shed outdated structures and address ideological imbalances. Without offering specifics, he said it was time to eliminate distractions and biases that may have influenced the agency in the past. His comments echoed broader themes in the Trump administration, where senior figures like Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have criticised what they call the influence of “woke” ideology in national security institutions.

Ellis concluded with a warning against any politicisation of intelligence work. “We cannot have weaponisation or politicisation of the intelligence community,” he said, appearing to reference Trump’s repeated accusations that parts of the intelligence apparatus had been working against him. The overall message from Ellis was clear: to outcompete China and meet today’s challenges, the CIA must evolve—technically, structurally, and culturally.

By Tamilla Hasanova