According to the Wall Street Journal, the American multinational company Microsoft is urging the employees working in its cloud computing and artificial intelligence departments in China to consider transferring elsewhere.
The decision is made against the backdrop of continuing escalating tensions between the US and China. Under the Biden administration, many different Chinese imports, such as electric vehicle batteries, computer chips, and medical products, are subject to stricter regulations.
Most of the victims were Chinese employees, engineers among them. According to sources, they have been offered the chance to move to countries like the United States, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. Microsoft affirms that providing internal transfers is a standard practice in its global operations and that the company will continue to operate in China.
The most recent article by Reuters proposes that the Department of Commerce in the United States might impose restrictions on exporting AI models that conceal their algorithms and training data. Nevertheless, Microsoft’s spokesperson confirmed they continue to be committed to the Chinese market despite these likely regulatory changes.
