Business
15:24, 16-Aug-2017
Reports: Washington looks to restrict foreign investments in tech
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According to Reuters, an unreleased Pentagon report indicates that the US government was looking to strengthen the role of the Committee on Foreign Investment, or CFIUS, on cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence, possibly targeting Chinese investment in US-based companies.
AI is essentially algorithms that mimic the way neurons work in the human brain. Such technology has some in the US government worried that the US could lose its edge in a strategically important technology if it doesn't tighten controls over Chinese investment in US AI companies.
Last year, the US was China's top destination for foreign direct investment with more than 45 billion US dollars. How much of that is AI-related is unclear, because companies aren't required to disclose that. In the near future, nearly all tech companies will incorporate some form of AI, so writing legislation that will cover what's militarily, or economically sensitive, is going to get a lot harder.