Report: US Considers Blocking Chinese Customers from Accessing AI Cloud Services

Report: US Considers Blocking Chinese Customers from Accessing AI Cloud Services

According to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal, the US Department of Commerce is considering a ban on Amazon, Microsoft, and Google from providing AI-related cloud computing services to Chinese companies. This move is seen as an attempt to close a potential loophole that Chinese companies could use to bypass export restrictions on advanced AI processors. The Biden administration has already banned the export of advanced chips used in AI development and training to China as part of the ongoing trade war between the two countries.

The report suggests that national security experts view these potential cloud computing restrictions as a way to prevent Chinese companies from accessing advanced chips indirectly through cloud services. By imposing such restrictions, the US would involve major technology giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon in the international trade dispute.

In addition to these potential cloud computing restrictions, the US is also updating its rules to align its list of controlled silicon manufacturing equipment with Japan and the Netherlands, which are also tightening restrictions on the sale of advanced technology and the import of Chinese equipment.

The report states that the US Department of Commerce, as well as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, declined to comment on the matter.

The trade dispute between the US and China has been ongoing since the previous US presidential administration, initially focusing on banning networking hardware from Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE in government networks. Over time, the scope of the trade war has expanded, with the US implementing more stringent measures to prevent technology theft, safeguard critical infrastructure, and maintain a technological advantage. China views these policies as protectionism and unfair trade restraints, leading them to respond with similar measures, such as banning certain US products from their networking infrastructure.