China formalises Chinese name for AI “token” as “词元”; security ministry flags identity, forgery and scam risks

What happened

China’s National Data Bureau (国家数据局) has officially set the Chinese translation of the AI term “token” as “词元”, a shorthand that has already become a social-media buzzword. What is a token? In AI, a token is a basic unit of text or data that models process — think of it as the building block of large language models and many generative systems. It has been reported that the naming move was followed by a public advisory from the Ministry of State Security (国家安全部) warning of new security and fraud risks tied to the explosive use of these digital units.

Rapid growth and why authorities are worried

It has been reported that daily token calls in China exceeded 140 trillion by March, up from about 100 billion at the start of 2024 — a growth of more than 1,000 times — and reportedly more than 40% higher than a 100 trillion figure cited for the end of 2025. Such runaway expansion, authorities say, creates an enlarged attack surface. Criminals and opportunists can exploit weak transmission, poor encryption and users’ misunderstanding of tokens to intercept identities or scale fraud. The advisory frames the issue not only as individual harm but also as a potential systemic and national-security risk.

The risks spelled out

The Ministry highlighted three core dangers: leakage and hijacking (tokens intercepted via XSS, public Wi‑Fi or other means, allowing impersonation and account takeover); forgery and tampering (unauthenticated tokens manipulated to escalate privileges or fabricate credentials); and token-related scams (fraudulent “token investment” and fake upgrade or verification ploys that harvest funds or personal data). The ministry also warned that hoarding or trading tokens could be co-opted by foreign intelligence agencies to conduct data theft or financial infiltration — a geopolitical framing consistent with China’s broader emphasis on data sovereignty amid global tech tensions.

Guidance for users and wider context

Officials urge treating 词元 as a digital identity credential, not an investment product, and stress basic security hygiene: use reputable platforms, encrypted channels, two‑factor authentication, avoid public networks for sensitive operations, and do not buy unverified “token” services or fall for high‑yield pitches. The guidance also tells users to distinguish AI tokens from blockchain “tokens” or cryptocurrencies and to report scams promptly. The advisory and naming decision come as China tightens rules around data and AI at a time of intense global scrutiny over AI supply chains, export controls and cross‑border data flows.

It has been reported that the underlying report and statistics were circulated via Chinese tech outlets including IT Home (IT之家) and reposted on Phoenix (凤凰网); the platform notes some content comes from user uploads.