The American Wall Street Journal said US lawmakers wanted to investigate the $1.5 billion deal between US company Microsoft and Abu Dhabi-based G42 Artificial Intelligence, “citing concerns about the transfer of advanced technology to China”.
Last April, Microsoft announced an investment of 1.5 billion dollars in “G42”, with Brad Smith, the president of the American company, occupying one of the boards of “G42”.
Two House Republicans, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and Chinese Communist Party Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar, said in a letter to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that the deal “deserves close monitoring” as “one of the the most significant investments made by an American in the Middle East in decades.’
They added that they are concerned about the “unprecedented attempt to strengthen cooperation that includes the transfer of highly sensitive technology” without consulting Congress or clear regulations.
The agreement between the American Microsoft and the “G42” company headed by Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed raises concerns in the United States that the transfer of advanced artificial intelligence chips and tools will pose risks to national security.
The letter, which was made public on Thursday, highlighted recent talks between Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the country’s president, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which Chinese official media said “included discussions on cooperation,” according to the newspaper. the field of artificial intelligence”.
Lawmakers asked the National Intelligence Council (NIC) to “assess any relationship between the G42 and China, as well as the risks of transferring sensitive US technology to Beijing.”
Microsoft and G42 did not respond to the American newspaper’s requests for comment.
The investment, announced last April, includes the Emirati company using Microsoft cloud services for its artificial intelligence applications, according to the newspaper.
Last May, Reuters quoted Microsoft executives as saying the deal with the G42 includes “guarantees to protect Microsoft technology and prevent Chinese entities from using it to train artificial intelligence systems.”
Officials said that under the deal, G42 will also follow a “know your customer” rule to determine who uses Microsoft technology, and “will not allow Chinese companies to use it to train artificial intelligence models.”
