Beijing weighing up curbing overseas access to top Chinese AI models

Chinese authorities have held meetings ​with top tech firms over the past month about potentially restricting overseas access to China’s most advanced AI models, including those yet to be released, reports Reuters.

Companies present at the talks included tech giants Alibaba and ByteDance as well as startup Z.ai, three people told Reuters, who were not authorized to speak to media and declined to be identified.

The talks follow a number of steps by Beijing to keep homegrown AI within the country and underscore how China, like the US, is now treating cutting-edge artificial intelligence as a critical national asset that needs controls.