The US government has approved the export of advanced artificial intelligence chips to a Microsoft-run facility in the United Arab Emirates as part of the company’s highly scrutinized partnership with Emirati AI firm G42. Axis reported on Saturday, citing two people familiar with the deal.
Microsoft invested $1.5 billion in G42 earlier this year, giving the US company a minority stake and a board seat. As part of the agreement, G42 will use Microsoft’s cloud services to run its AI applications.
However, the deal came under scrutiny after US lawmakers raised concerns that the G42 could transfer powerful US AI technology to China.
He called for a US review of the G42’s relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, military and government before moving forward with the Microsoft deal.
The US Commerce Department and the G42 did not immediately respond. ReutersMicrosoft declined to comment on the report.
US officials have said AI systems could pose national security threats, including facilitating the engineering of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
The Biden administration in October demanded that the biggest makers of AI systems share details about them with the US government.
The G42 said earlier this year that it would actively work with US partners and the UAE government to meet standards for AI development and deployment, amid concerns about its relationship with China. is doing
The Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund owns stakes in Mubadala Investment Company, the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates and US private equity firm Silver Lake G42.
The company’s chairman, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is the National Security Adviser of the UAE and brother of the President of the UAE.