China stands accused of stealing intellectual property and using artificial intelligence to hack and spy on other nations at an unprecedented scale.

As Reuters reports, the accusations come from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—which comprises the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—following meetings with private US companies in Silicon Valley. The theft is occurring across a wide range of sectors, covering everything from quantum technology and robotics to biotechnology and AI.

FBI Director Christopher Wray referred to China as an "unprecedented threat," and said, "China has long targeted businesses with a web of techniques all at once: cyber intrusions, human intelligence operations, seemingly innocuous corporate investments and transactions ... Every strand of that web had become more brazen, and more dangerous."

Mike Burgess, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's director-general, added: "The Chinese government is engaged in the most sustained scaled and sophisticated theft of intellectual property and expertise in human history."

Chinese government spokesman Liu Pengyu responded to the accusations, stating, "We firmly oppose to the groundless allegations and smears towards China and hope the relevant parties can view China’s development objectively and fairly."

Earlier this year, when Microsoft caught China spying on critical western infrastructure, the Chinese government responded by claiming it was just a "collective disinformation campaign" by the US and its allies.

This is the first time all members of Five Eyes have publicly called out China's actions collectively. In response, the alliance is hoping both private industry and academia will help to counter the threats, which Wray describes as "a bigger hacking program than that of every other major nation combined."