Attackers reportedly used open-source AI agents in early July to target Taiwanese government and energy systems, highlighting concerns that increasingly autonomous cyberattacks could endanger critical infrastructure. Security and law-enforcement figures warn that breaches of water, energy, financial or safety systems could have physical consequences for communities and national security.

The reported campaign used Hermes and OpenClaw agents across 12 attack waves, deploying up to eight sub-agents to compromise a Taiwanese government website, email system, nuclear safety agency, suppliers and at least seven energy companies. Separately, attacks affected more than 30 US water systems, though there is no evidence AI was used; experts instead cited exposed controllers, weak passwords and decades of unaddressed technical debt.