An intelligence report almost ignited a war between the United States and China

However, the operation was canceled after officials concluded that an artificial intelligence program used by an analyst had misidentified the nature of the ship's cargo.

CNN quoted one of the sources as saying that the intelligence report was "completely wrong" but "almost ignited a war". The source did not specify what the ship was actually carrying or its destination.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report regarding the incident.

CNN's report comes after a stir earlier this month caused by a researcher who publicly announced his resignation from the leading artificial intelligence company "Anthropic", due to concerns that the technology might escape human control.

There have been several recent calls to limit the rapid development of artificial intelligence, including from senior officials in the field, as well as politicians and international organizations.

Despite the warnings, US President Donald Trump and some of his key allies have expressed opposition to drastically limiting the development of artificial intelligence.

In a separate incident involving the US military and China, the "Politico" website reported on Friday that parts of F-35 fighter jets, including a highly important cockpit cover, were rerouted to Hong Kong and are now missing, raising fears that Beijing may have obtained sensitive US military technology.

The website added that the parts were en route from Australia to the United States for repairs when their course was changed, adding that it was not clear why the course was changed or where they currently are.