A man walks past Microsoft’s local headquarters in Beijing on July 20, 2021.
Noel Celis | AFP | Getty Images
Microsoft is reportedly considering relocating China-based cloud computing and artificial intelligence operations employees abroad as Washington cracks down on Beijing’s access to advanced technology. He said he asked him to do so.
The Wall Street Journal reported the story on Thursday, with unnamed sources saying the staff, made up mostly of Chinese engineers, was being given the opportunity to relocate to countries including the United States, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It was reported that.
A person familiar with the matter told the Journal that Microsoft had made offers to a total of about 700 to 800 people working in machine learning and cloud computing.
CNBC could not independently verify this report.
In a statement shared with CNBC, a Microsoft spokesperson acknowledged that the company had “shared voluntary internal mobility opportunities with some of our employees,” but did not know how many employees were affected. Details such as affiliation were not disclosed.
A spokesperson said: “We remain committed to the region and will continue to operate in this market and other markets where we have a presence.” He added that there was no.
Microsoft employs about 7,000 engineers in its Asia-Pacific research and development group, most of whom are based in China, WSJ reported.
The move comes amid US efforts to prevent China from developing cutting-edge AI technology that could be used for military purposes. Over the past two years, the United States has imposed repeated restrictions on China, limiting its ability to buy advanced chips and chip-making equipment that can be used to train AI models.
According to recent reports, the Biden administration is now looking to put new guardrails on the export of advanced AI models, such as the large-scale language models that power the Microsoft-backed ChatGPT.
There is currently little government oversight to prevent companies like Microsoft, one of the largest cloud computing and AI players in the United States, from selling or providing AI modeling services to foreign companies.
The United States is reportedly concerned that AI models that mine vast amounts of data to generate content could be used for cyberattacks or to create biological weapons.
Earlier this year, Microsoft published a report that found state-sponsored hackers in Russia, China, and Iran were using OpenAI tools to hone their skills and assist in their hacking operations.
Microsoft has been deeply embedded in China for more than 30 years, while other Western tech companies have been shut out by strict regulations. The company says it has its largest research and development center outside the United States in China.
Read the full Wall Street Journal report.
