U.S. Imposes New Export Controls on Biotech Equipment Over AI and China Concerns

U.S. imposing new export controls on biotech equipment over China concerns

The Department of Commerce building is seen before an expected report of new home sales numbers in Washington, January 26, 2022. The U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday it is imposing new export controls on biotechnology equipment and related technology because of national security concerns tied to artificial intelligence and data science. Washington has raised concerns that China could use U.S. technology to strengthen military capabilities and help design new weapons through AI. The department said the laboratory equipment could be used for "human performance enhancement, brain-machine interfaces, biologically-inspired synthetic materials, and possibly biological weapons." The new export controls, which restrict shipments to China and other countries without a U.S. license, are for high-parameter flow cytometers and certain mass spectrometry equipment, which Commerce said can "generate high-quality, high-content biological data, including that which is suitable for use to facilitate the development of AI and biological design tools." This is the latest effort by Washington to restrict U.S. technology to China. On Monday, Commerce moved to further restrict AI chip and technology exports from China aimed at helping the United States maintain its dominant status in AI by controlling it around the world.

US imposing new export controls on biotechnology equipment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday it is imposing new export controls on biotechnology equipment and related technology because of national security concerns tied to artificial intelligence and data science. Washington has raised concerns that China could use U.S. technology to strengthen military capabilities and help design new weapons through AI. The department said the laboratory equipment could be used for "human performance enhancement, brain-machine interfaces, biologically-inspired synthetic materials, and possibly biological weapons."

US imposes export controls on biotech equipment over AI security concerns

On Wednesday the U.S. Department of Commerce announced it would implement new export controls on certain biotechnology equipment, citing national security concerns relating to artificial intelligence and data science. The Commerce Department warned that China could use the biotech equipment's technology to bolster its military capabilities and help design new weapons using artificial intelligence. The department said the technology has many applications, including its ability to be used for "human performance enhancement, brain-machine interfaces, biologically inspired synthetic materials and possibly biological weapons." The sanctions effectively restrict shipments of the technology to countries without a U.S. license, such as China. The controls apply to parameter flow cytometers and certain mass spectrometry equipment, which according to the Commerce Department, can "generate high-quality, high-content biological data, including that which is suitable for use to facilitate the development of AI and biological design tools." Last week, the Chinese Embassy in Washington said Beijing "firmly opposes any country's development, possession or use of biological weapons." This latest move by the United States follows recent policy decisions that reflect Washington's broad aim to limit Beijing's access to U.S. technology and data. Washington announced on Monday that it would tighten Beijing's access to AI chip and technology exports by implementing new regulations that cap the number of chips that can be exported to certain countries, including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. This month, the ban on popular Chinese-owned social media TikTok is planned to go into effect due to U.S. concerns over its potential to share sensitive data with China's government.