China mulls curbing foreign access to its AI models

China is considering restricting global access to its top AI models, Reuters reported, echoing US efforts to limit access to frontier AI technologies, as both countries look to erect a “silicon curtain” around their most advanced tech.

Chinese officials discussed curbing foreign access to homegrown open-source models too, which could raise costs for many US businesses that have become dependent on cheap Chinese AI. It could also undermine Beijing’s pitch that its open-source models, unlike the US’ more restrictive and expensive offerings, can be a development tool for lower-income countries, Semafor reported.

Some in Silicon Valley are already trying to counter that narrative: Mark Zuckerberg has pledged “aggressive” pricing on Meta’s first premium AI, Bloomberg reported, aiming at wider adoption.