WASHINGTON — The FBI director, Christopher Wray, said Thursday that he was “deeply concerned” about the Chinese government’s artificial intelligence program, asserting that it was “not constrained by the rule of law.”

Speaking during a panel session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wray said Beijing’s AI ambitions were “built on top of massive troves of intellectual property and sensitive data that they’ve stolen over the years.”

He said that left unchecked, China could use artificial intelligence advancements to further its hacking operations, intellectual property theft and repression of dissidents inside the country and beyond.

“That’s something we’re deeply concerned about, and I think everyone here should be deeply concerned about,” he said.

More broadly, he said, “AI is a classic example of a technology where I have the same reaction every time. I think, ‘Wow, We can do that?’ And then I think, ‘Oh god, they can do that.’”

Such concerns have long been voiced by American officials. In October 2021, for instance, American counterintelligence officials issued warnings about China’s ambitions in AI as part of a renewed effort to inform business executives, academics and local and state government officials about the risks of accepting Chinese investment or expertise in key industries.

Earlier that year, an AI commission led by the former Google chief executive, Eric Schmidt, urged America to boost its AI skills to counter China, including by pursuing “AI-enabled” weapons.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment Thursday about Mr. Wray’s comments. 

Beijing has repeatedly accused Washington of fearmongering and attacked American intelligence for its assessments of China.