The Biden Administration announced a new plan to restrict China from using cloud services in the United States. The proposal is scheduled to be released on Monday, Jan. 29.
This is the latest effort of the U.S. government against China in the ongoing AI race, as well as in the tech conflict between the two super-power nations.
Now, the Biden Admin wants to require Amazon, Microsoft, and other tech firms offering cloud services to investigate and disclose if their cloud is being used by foreign clients.
Biden Admin To Restrict China From Using US Cloud Services for AI Training
According to The Fortune's latest report, the Biden Admin's new proposal specifically aims to make foreign client investigation and disclosure mandatory for Amazon, Microsoft, and other cloud service providers.
The U.S. government said that in its new proposal, these tech firms will be required to reveal the IP addresses and names of their foreign consumers.
If ever this proposal is implemented by the Biden Administration, then the client information that cloud service providers will disclose could be used by the government to target Chinese customers.
These sensitive details can help U.S. officials block Chinese firms from accessing data centers, as well as servers, which are important for training and hosting artificial intelligence models.
Aside from this, the Biden Administration will also require Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and other cloud service companies to store, analyze, and collect customer data.
Read also: Surviving the AI Revolution: How to Protect Yourself From Artificial Intelligence Automation
AI Safety Tests Disclosure To Be Required
Aside from the names and IP addresses of foreign clients, the Biden Administration also announced a new requirement that will make AI safety test disclosure mandatory.
ABC News reported that the executive order, which was signed by U.S. President Joe Biden, in October 2023, will be reviewed if it can really manage the fast-evolving technology.
Included in the executive order was a mandate under the Defense Production Act that tech firms should share critical information about AI development with the Commerce Department.
These include safety nets. As of writing, AI developers don't need to comply with a common standard on safety tests yet. But, the National Institute of Standards and Technology announced that it will establish a unified framework for assessing AI safety.
"We know that AI has transformative effects and potential," said the White House special adviser on AI, Ben Buchanan.
"We're not trying to upend the apple cart there, but we are trying to make sure the regulators are prepared to manage this technology," he added.
