China is reportedly considering strengthening export controls to prevent the overseas leakage of artificial intelligence (AI) models and semiconductor technology.
On July 21, local time, Reuters cited the Financial Times (FT) reporting that regulatory authorities, led by the Ministry of Commerce, are discussing measures to restrict the overseas transfer of key AI and semiconductor technologies from major Chinese companies.
This move is seen as an effort by China to protect its advanced AI as a core national asset, similar to the United States, and to prevent its technology and promising startups from being acquired by Western entities.
The Ministry of Commerce is said to be negotiating restrictions on the overseas transfer of essential data needed for AI model training with companies such as Alibaba, ByteDance, and Zhifubai. Discussions also include preventing foreign users from downloading the weights of Chinese AI models.
Model weights are numerical data obtained during the AI training process, which are crucial for determining the model's performance and functionality. Securing these weights allows external parties to modify or operate the model independently.
Chinese authorities are also reportedly seeking industry input on measures to prevent overseas companies from producing advanced semiconductors designed by firms like Huawei, Alibaba, and ByteDance.
These related regulations may be included in a revision of China's 'Export Ban and Restricted Technology List.' However, the measures are still under review, and authorities are gathering industry opinions before making a final decision, according to FT.
Additionally, there are indications that the government is considering restrictions on the acquisition of Chinese companies possessing strategic technologies, such as agent-based AI, by foreign entities.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Chinese authorities held meetings with major technology companies to discuss limiting foreign access to the country's cutting-edge AI models, including those that have not yet been publicly released.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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