Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) warned Wednesday that China has deployed what she described as "digital twins" of every member of Congress, framing the development as part of a broader cognitive warfare campaign targeting U.S. policymakers.
The comments came during an address on the international race for artificial intelligence dominance. Cammack argued that adversaries are investing heavily in AI capabilities designed to predict and potentially manipulate the decision-making of American elected officials.
"China and Russia and Iran would love nothing more than for us to say, absolutely, no data science," Cammack said. "And that is because it is a cognitive warfare."
What the Right Is Saying
Cammack's assessment reflects a broader Republican consensus that views AI competition with China as a defining national security challenge of the coming decade. House Republican leadership has increasingly highlighted what they characterize as asymmetric threats from adversaries leveraging artificial intelligence against U.S. interests.
"This is not science fiction," Cammack said during her remarks. "This is happening now." She advocated for maximizing U.S. data science capabilities to maintain competitive advantage over adversarial nations developing similar tools targeting American institutions.
Conservative security analysts have echoed her warnings, arguing that the United States has been slower to recognize cognitive warfare threats than rivals like China, which has invested heavily in AI research with explicit national strategy documents identifying such capabilities as strategic priorities.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats have largely supported aggressive U.S. investment in AI development but have emphasized the need for guardrails and ethical frameworks rather than framing international competition primarily through a security lens.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), who has championed AI legislation, has argued that the United States must lead in AI while establishing norms around its use. His office has previously noted that competitive positioning should be paired with domestic policy protections.
Civil liberties groups aligned with Democratic priorities have expressed concern that framing AI primarily through a warfare lens could justify expanded surveillance powers or restrictions on research that might also limit academic and commercial innovation.
What the Numbers Show
China's AI investments have grown substantially over the past five years. The country reportedly accounts for roughly one-third of global AI publications and has set a stated goal of becoming the world's primary AI innovation center by 2030.
U.S. federal AI research funding reached approximately $3 billion annually as of recent budget cycles, while China is estimated to invest significantly more when combining government, private sector, and state-directed enterprise spending on artificial intelligence development.
The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence has previously recommended that the United States dedicate comparable resources to adversaries' total national AI investments to maintain competitive positioning. The commission's 2021 final report called for accelerated investment and organizational changes to address what it termed "strategic competition" in the technology sector.
The Bottom Line
Cammack's warnings highlight growing bipartisan concern about AI competition with China, though experts note significant disagreement over how best to respond. Her emphasis on maximizing U.S. capabilities contrasts with some Democratic approaches that prioritize domestic regulation alongside competitive investment.
The administration has signaled increased attention to cognitive warfare threats in recent months, and Congress is expected to consider additional AI-related legislation in the fall session. Observers say the debate will likely center on how to balance aggressive competitive positioning against concerns about surveillance overreach and restrictions on research collaboration.